Thomas J. Casey, 99, of Billings, MT, died July 27, 2026, at Tendernest.

The son of Leo and Theresa (Gerken) Casey was born August 24, 1926, in Dallas, SD.

Leo moved with his family to a ranch near Riverton, Wyoming, in 1937.

Upon graduation from Riverton High School in 1944, he enlisted in the Army during World War II. He was discharged as an Infantry Sergeant in 1946 and entered the University of Wyoming that fall. Tom graduated with honors in the field of Agriculture in 1950 and started to work for the Bureau of Reclamation as a Soil Scientist in Cody, Wyoming.

At the University in 1949, he met Peggy Hackett, a wonderful lady from Texas who was doing graduate work. They were married on August 26, 1950, at Holy Name Catholic Church in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Throughout his 38-year professional career with the Departments of Agriculture and Interior, Tom investigated private, state, and federal lands as to their suitability for irrigation throughout the Rocky Mountain states. Tom retired as Regional Soil Scientist for the Bureau of Reclamation in 1988. From 1946 until the deaths of his father and mother in 1964–65, he was involved part-time with ranch operations at Riverton and Cody, Wyoming.

In 1959, he was President of the Wyoming Chapter of the Soil Conservation Society of America. In 1972, he was one of five people appointed by the Governor of North Dakota to the first State Board of Professional Soil Classifiers. In 1993, Tom was the first man elected President of Saint Vincent Hospital Auxiliary in Billings. Tom was a member of St. Thomas Catholic Church, the Holy Name Society, and a lifelong member of the Elks and the American Legion.

He enjoyed being outdoors and, as a soil scientist, was able to spend most of his life working outside. He loved his wife, children, and grandchildren dearly and attended many of their activities. Tom really enjoyed hunting, especially geese, pheasant, and quail during his later years. After retiring, he enjoyed doing volunteer work in his neighborhood, community, church, and Saint Vincent Hospital. He mainly worked as a Patient Representative for many years at the hospital, which involved visiting patients or their families to find out if the hospital could do anything else to make their stay as pleasant as possible.

He is survived by his four children: daughter Casey Tillman of Billings; son T. Michael (Jo) of Laurel; son Patrick (Penni) of Billings; and daughter Eileen (Robert) Dixon of Manhattan, KS; four grandchildren: grandson Joseph (Jenna) of Cullman, AL; granddaughter Trisha (Brandon) Barrick of Billings; granddaughter Andrea (John) Warner of Manhattan, KS; and grandson Leland (Alisha) of O'Fallon, MO; and eight great-grandchildren: Lewis and Emily Casey; Brooklinn and Brinlee Barrick; Cassia and Livia Dixon-Warner; and Tucker and Zeke Tillman. He was preceded in death by his lifelong love, Peggy of Billings; his parents (Leo and Theresa); a brother (Davey); two sisters (Veronica and MaryAnn); and his son-in-law (Bob Tillman).

If desired, in lieu of flowers, a memorial may be sent to a charity of your choice. A vigil will be held on Monday, August 3rd, at 6:00 PM at Michelotti-Sawyers Funeral Home & Crematory. The Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, August 4th, at 10:00 AM at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, with interment to follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

"Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."