Gerald Dean Cassidy

Gerald Dean Cassidy, Mayor of Wishram, 73, passed away Oct. 16, 2018, at his home in Wishram, Washington, seated on his back porch looking out at the river. He was born April 17, 1945, in Libby to James Raymond Cassidy and Daisy Steele Cassidy. He was a proud alumnus of Troy High School and entered the U.S. Navy on Sept. 11, 1963, at the age of 18. While in service he achieved the rank of Electrician’s Mate Third Class, an education he continued to build upon.

He married Gail McGuire Aug. 25,1966 while still in the Navy. They were married in Ticonderoga, New York and they lived in Virginia Beach while he served on the USS Conny. In June of 1968 he was honorably discharged from the Navy and they moved to Troy where he went to work for St. Regis. They had two children and later divorced.

After St. Regis was bought by Champion and they were bought out by Stimson the mill shut down. In 1994 he moved to Washington to go to work for Goldendale Aluminum. In 1997 he married Linda Porter and they later divorced. In 2002 he joined the Corps of Engineers, first at Lower Monumental Dam, until retiring from Bonneville.

The fourth of six children, he grew up fishing the creeks, exploring mines, and getting up early for his paper routes. He went everywhere from Madagascar to the North Pole and he was always cheerful and curious about the natives. He helped out people with his time and truck and even went to Mississippi to help out after Katrina, and when he came home he started his boiled peanut business and was the de-facto mayor of Wishram. And we can’t forget the famous goat head clean-up he did of Wishram.

Survivors include his children Greta Fletcher and husband Tony of Beaverton, Oregon, and Garrett Cassidy of Troy; grandchildren Anthony, Lane, Stephanie, Carly and Kinzey; his sister Violet and brother James of Idaho; step-children Pete, Gabe and Nathan; and step-grandchildren Caleb, Erik, Anthony and Xander.

Services will be held at Milnor Lake Cemetery in Troy at 1 p.m. on Nov. 13, 2018. A reception will follow; details will be announced at the service. A celebration of life is planned for Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, at the Pastime in Wishram, Washington at 2 p.m.