- Date Of Birth: June 18, 1943
- Date Of Death: December 2, 2019
- State: Indiana
Casper John Alessi, Jr., age 76 of the Villages, FL passed away on Tuesday December 2, 2019. Born in Melrose Park, IL, an Italian suburb of Chicago, on June 18, 1943, he cherished his family and learned the importance of hard work. In 1963, he graduated cum laude from Loyola University of Chicago where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Theology.
He was an easy-going person who always had a smile on his face, and a joke on his lips. An immensely loving husband and father, who was deeply loved and admired by his grandchildren. He believed in America as the land of opportunity and was proud of his Sicilian heritage. He was also an animal lover who adored the many dogs and cats he had throughout his life. Casper served in the US Army as an air defense artillery officer. He commanded a Nike-Hercules missile battery and graduated from the Chemical, Nuclear, and Biological Warfare School. In 1972 he organized a youth voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the vote program in Chicago.
He built this project into an 8-State Operation and became the mid-west director. Casper then spent 3 years in the City of Taylor, MI where he worked as special assistant to the mayor. In 1979 he joined the staff of the Indiana State AFL-CIO as political and Legislative Director, and during this time, he also served on the Indiana Board of Directors of Hoosiers for National Health and Safety; the Indiana Water Commission; and the Indiana Advisory Board of Unemployment Compensation. In 1982, he was promoted to the Assistant to the President of the Indiana State AFL-CIO and was later promoted to Secretary Treasurer.
Ultimately, he joined the National AFL-CIO where he worked as the National Political Director for Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio until his retirement. For many years, Casper was a State Trustee of Ivy Tech State College and served as Secretary Treasurer and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Casper was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash by two Indiana State Governors: Robert Orr (R) and Evan Bayh (D). The Sagamore of the Wabash was the highest honor bestowed upon a Hoosier, and the honoree is someone the Governor feels is “distinguished by his humanity in living, his loyalty in friendship, wisdom in council, and inspiration in leadership”.
In 2012, Casper and his wife Melodi retired and moved to The Villages, FL where they made many wonderful friends. He is survived by his wife Melodi Alessi (nee Miers); daughters Nicole (Mark) Franks of Houston, TX; Jenifer (David) Barry of Shawnee, KS; 4 grandchildren: John, Kyla, Jude, and Elizabeth Ann Barry; brother-in-law David (Mary) Miers of Greensburg, Indiana; and Richard Kuhn of Elmhurst, IL.
He is preceded in death by his parents Casper John Alessi Sr. and Mary Jo Alessi (Verive), and his sister Janet Kuhn.
