Deborah Ann Casey

Deborah Ann Casey, 72, of Ames, passed away on March 11, 2026, surrounded by family at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames.

Born Deborah Ann Burrier on October 9, 1953, to Paul and Catherine (Williams) Burrier in New Jersey, she grew up in Pennsylvania and later California, graduating from Los Alamitos High School. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. Deborah served in the United States Army during the final days of the Vietnam era and into peacetime. While serving, she married Thomas Casey, and the couple raised their family in the greater Washington, DC area before moving to Ames in 1985.

Deborah worked as a library assistant at Iowa State University for more than thirty years until her retirement. She found deep joy in life’s quieter moments as well as in travel, exploring the world with her sisters and friends from Broadway and London to the beaches of Hawaii and Florida. At home she was a familiar presence in her community, often seen water walking at Planet Fitness, enjoying her favorite British television shows such as Call the Midwife and Doc Martin, and pursuing her lifelong love of reading and road trips. Known as a force of nature, Deborah was kind, caring, and always placed the needs of others before her own. She approached people with genuine curiosity, asking questions, offering kindness, and sometimes sharing her unsolicited advice.

She is survived by her husband, Tom Casey; her children, Nathan Casey of Des Moines, Beth Casey of Rochester, Minnesota, and Mike Casey of Ames; her siblings, Jeanne (Joe) Price of Newport Beach, California, and Paula (Dave) Lund of Prescott, Arizona; her beloved grandcat, Lucy, and granddog, Poppy; and a wide circle of friends and extended family who will miss her vibrant spirit. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Michael Burrier.