A Tribute to Joe Causey

By Brenda Poss

Joe Causey was a big deal in Athens. 

He was known by many as a musician par excellence. To others he was the guy at Farm Electric who would answer your questions and engage in a good conversation. Many outside of Athens knew him from his military service as a Navy translator. Lots of us were blessed to know him as a friend. 

However we knew him, Joe left a great big hole in our hearts today. He had not just given cancer the best run-for-the-money he could, but he had taken us all with him. The transparency with which Joe, Marianne, Cole, and Taylor shared Joe’s journey made us all feel like we were holding hands. Even those who didn’t know Joe felt a connection to him through regular public postings on Facebook and shared stories from friends and family.

I met Joe when I started Athens High School and sang in one of the school’s choruses. Joe was the piano accompanist for the group, a position that I envied. Little did he know that one of my goals was to be as good an accompanist as he was.  As the years passed, our lives crossed many times. He and Marianne married and had their family at about the same times we had ours. Our kids were in school together, and we shared common friends and interests. Just last Christmas as I enjoyed the Christmas caroling at the May-Causey house, I found myself thinking about what a rich friendship our families had enjoyed. I listened to and watched Joe playing violin with his son, Cole, and with the many other talented members of their family. I had a conversation with Joe in which he shared with me his concern for my family’s situation as we live with Alzheimer’s Disease. It was a day to remember and a friend to remember.

Joe and Marianne divorced along the way, but when Joe’s cancer was diagnosed earlier this year, it was Marianne who stepped up and took him back into her house. There she, Cole, and Taylor set another goal for me and for many others to meet. They showed us what love is and also what it is supposed to be. It was selfless and unending. It was filled with frustration, fatigue, tears, and laughter. It brought out the very best in people as they sought to support them through visits, food, correspondence, and prayers. It joined us all together in a common goal.

So, here we are with memories bigger than life. Joe will be there every time we hear the Athens Symphony, drive down Baxter Street past his family’s former store, see someone on a scooter with a big box on the back, and whenever we visit with members of his family. We are all better for the life of Joe Causey and I thank God for his presence in our lives.