Obituary of Casey Neyman

Casey Neyman, of Hamburg, NY, died peacefully with his family by his side on April 19, 2018. He was 65 years old.

Casey was born in Mineola, TX in 1952 to Paul and Regina Neyman. He would soon call Longview, TX his hometown and attended Longview High School before moving onto Kilgore College to study Medical Laboratory Technology.

Casey first worked for International Airlines in Longview, and then, while enrolled at Kilgore, began working for Good Shepard Hospital where he first met his future wife, Mary Ann, in the laboratory. They married in 1979.

Casey loved to travel and, after working for Good Shepard Hospital, became a travel agent where he took many amazing trips around the world.

He then accepted a position with the United State Postal Service as a letter carrier and, in 1985, transferred from Longview, TX, to Buffalo, NY with the USPS, returning to his wife’s home town. He served as a letter carrier for several Buffalo area locations, before becoming a supervisor at the Hamburg, NY post office and eventually postmaster of Gowanda. After nearly 25 years with the USPS, Casey retired as postmaster in 2008.

Casey was instrumental in the construction of the Village of Hamburg wooden playground. He served as co-chairman of the playground committee and campaigned for fundraising, which lead to the construction of the playground in 1990 with the help of a volunteer labor force comprised of hundreds of other village residents. Casey also volunteered in the early years of the Taste of Buffalo.

As a member of the “Friends of Hamburg,” Casey played a key role in reviving the Hamburg Burgerfest and always took special interest in programs that benefited the community and encouraged creativity in its younger generations. He even had a special knack for face painting and volunteered these skills often in various events in the community and at family functions.

Casey loved music and theater, having grown up learning to tap dance alongside Tommy Tune. He was also a self-taught piano player, learning to read and perform music without ever taking formal lessons. As a 16 year old, Casey even won his first car, a ’69 mustang convertible, by writing a safety jingle for the Ford Motor Company.

In 2001, Casey won another contest through National Public Radio’s “Pulse of the Planet” series. This contest brought Jim Metnzer, a producer for the NPR series, to Hamburg to record the sights and sounds of the Erie County Fair for a radio special. The Fair’s episode, featuring interviews with Casey, was then nationally syndicated. The Erie County Fair held a place close to Casey’s heart and he volunteered for years as a “Friends of the Fair” coordinator until 2017. His dream was to share the Fair with the country, and he fulfilled this dream through the “Pulse of the Planet” syndication.

After retirement from the USPS, Casey continued his involvement in the community running for a seat on the School Board for the Hamburg Central School District. He was elected in 2008 and served until 2011. He also enjoyed working events like “Farm to Table” as a member of the Erie County Agricultural Society and he could often be found working on game day at New Era Field as a Guest Services Representative for the Buffalo Bills.

In addition to his wife, Mary Ann, and his two sons, Matthew (Stephanie) and Mark; grandfather of soon to be granddaughter Neyman. Casey is survived by many nieces and nephews as well as his loyal and furry best friend Gizmo.

Family and friends are invited to call on Sunday, April 22^nd from 1-4pm & 6-9pm at Laing Funeral Home Inc., 2724 W. Church St., Eden, NY.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, April 23^rd at 11AM in Immaculate Conception Church, Eden, NY.

Memorials may be made to Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, 651 Delaware Ave. Buffalo, NY 14202.

Words of sympathy may be left on www.LaingFuneralHome.com