He leaves his parents Steve and Colleen, his sister Meghan and his brother-in-law Kyle Ostermann to cherish his memory.
He will be lovingly missed by his uncles, aunts, cousins and many friends. Casey was predeceased by his grandparents, Bob and Thelma Lee and Roman and Margaret Engele, as well as his Aunts Carol Brausen & Sharon Packman and his Uncles Ken Klettke & Allan Germaine.
Casey was a Saskatchewan boy born in Kindersley and grew up on the family farm in the area. It is here his love of sports began. Hockey, golf, baseball and speed swimming to name a few. His first love was hockey in which he was very skilled and forged many friendships throughout the many levels he played. He logged many miles on team buses all over North America. He talked often of the many people and coaches who helped him along the way. He remembered where he came from and remained very close with his home town friends.
It was this team focus that brought Casey to his next step with a career choice as a transmission power lineman. He began working for SaskPower and in 2018 moved to Calgary to continue work for AltaLink for the remainder of his life.
He enjoyed his work as a team member on a crew as well as being in the great outdoors in both provinces. He was always on the road logging many hours of travel.
As a person Casey was a rather quiet man. He was low-key with an engaging smile and hearty laugh. He carried with him a hard work ethic.
He had many interests including NFL football, watching documentaries, reading and trying his luck at the casino. He lived his nearly 38 years to the fullest.
Casey you were one of a kind and will be dearly missed by all who knew you.
The family thanks all who have donated to Kindersley Minor Sports in Casey’s name.
"It is said that if we are truly loved during our time on earth, we will undoubtedly cause great grief when we leave it.
It is important to grieve this loss, that for us, came far too soon. But we also understand that it is important to celebrate the life that was lived.
Colleen, Steve and Meghan have asked me to help us celebrate Casey’s life, and it is my honor to do so.
My name is Kyle Ostermann and I am Casey's almost brother in law.
Over the last week we have been blessed to have heard from so many people about Casey. Caseys’ family is truly grateful for all the messages, stories, anecdotes, pictures and videos we have received from Casey’s friends, family, and coworkers.
Casey, as his friends would call him “Lazer” or “Laze” was born in Kindersley to Colleen and Steve “Cowboy” Lee, the second of their two children, Meghan being his older sister.
I met Casey when Meghan invited him over for a dinner of ribs and mashed potatoes, and I have to admit the prospect of meeting him was somewhat intimidating.
I’d already heard quite a bit about him, since he was a frequent topic that Meghan would bring up. It was evident to me how much she loved him and how important he was to her, and it was clear that his opinion of me would carry some weight. Going in to meeting him I knew of his storied hockey career, and his incredibly dangerous and impressive career as a Transmission Power Lineman. She also had told me that he can be extremely quiet if he wasn’t in the mood to visit.
It turns out I had nothing to worry about. Casey came over, sat down at our kitchen island and I took a leap of faith and tossed in a dig about the Las Vegas Raiders, as I knew he was a season ticket holder. From that point on, he really didn’t stop talking. We talked about everything from sports to investments, his work, my work, and even my kids. It was very easy to see why Casey was so beloved by his sister, and just what an easy going person he was. I was also impressed by his ability to pack away food, as he easily gobbled up two racks on his own.
I always enjoyed the time I spent with Casey. I enjoyed watching the Flames beat his Oilers or challenging each other on the golf course, where I got to see his competitive side come out. I truly wish to have had so much more time with him.
Casey grew up a rough and tumble farm kid in Kindersley, who Steve and Colleen have described as being a bit of a handful, often having very interesting explanations for why his glasses were broken or his clothes were torn. But they have also described him as being talented at pretty much anything he put his mind to, and being a soul that genuinely marched to the beat of his own drum. And while he was not perfect (and who amongst us is), he was perfect to them.
He was not one to wear his heart on his sleeve or make grand emotional statements around his family. As Colleen told me, it could be tough to get an “I love you” out of him, even in response to it being said to him. Sometimes you’d get a “love you back”. But anyone who knew Casey knew how much he loved his family. Just watching him interact with Steve and Colleen, it was obvious just how much he cared for them. And watching him tease Meghan, or hear him talk about her, made it very clear just how much he loved her and how proud he was of his big sister. Casey had a big, huge heart. He just had a tendency to show it in his own way.
As a youth Casey explored multiple sports such as golf, baseball, and speed swimming, but it was hockey that was truly a passion for him and where he excelled the most.
Casey’s hockey career took him from the minor teams of Kindersley to the WHL where he played for the Kamloops Blazers and Kootenay Ice, as well as a stint with the Kindersley Jr Klippers, where he was part of a team which won the Anavet Cup and finished second at the Royal Bank Cup. He played in the East Coast League for the Texas Wildcatters, and then for the U of S Huskies where he was voted the most popular player on the team in a web poll. He wrapped up his hockey career with the Rosetown Red Wings Sr Hockey team, where they won a league record 32 consecutive games.
Casey loved the camaraderie of his teammates and was known to frequent the card games which were played at the back of the bus.
As a player, Casey was described as one who always had his teammates back. While he didn’t relish getting into a scrap on the ice, he would do so as needed. But playing with a physical edge wasn’t the greatest aspect of his game. He was known as a playmaker setting his teammates up for countless goals, was a constant threat to score himself, and could move up and down the ice with exceptional speed, living up to his nickname “Lazer”.
Through his hockey career, Casey received invites from several NHL clubs: the Blues, Canucks, and Senators; the latter of which caused him such excitement that moments after receiving the phone call, he was out on the lawn doing sit ups and push ups getting ready for training camp.
While his pursuit of a hockey career did come to an end, in true Casey fashion he put his head down and found another career where he would excel, but it was not the career he had apparently dreamt of as a teen: that of a rodeo clown.
No, instead of that rather dangerous line of work, he went into something similarly dangerous and thrilling: he went to work at Sask Power as a Power Lineman, learning his trade there over the course of 9 years before moving to Calgary and joining AltaLink to be closer to many of his friends and in hopes of finding warmer weather.
Casey brought a hard nosed, lunch bucket approach to his work, and was a key member of the teams he worked with. Casey’s coworkers who reached out to us all said the same thing: Casey was a dedicated worker, taking every aspect of what he did seriously and with the respect a job like his required. The team Casey worked with achieved impeccable safety records, being accident free since 2017. And while Casey took the work seriously and with great dedication, he was known to keep the workplace light and filled with plenty of fun.
Casey was truly proud of the work he did, having found a passion being a Transmission Power Lineman. His coworkers described him as being quiet a lot of the time, but also being a coworker whose voice was heard loud and clear, and attended to, when he did speak up. He loved his time with his crew, usually referring to them by nicknames as his gesture of affection for them.
We’ve heard a lot about how Casey worked hard and played hard. And while his job took him on the road quite a lot, he still managed to find ways to enjoy time with his friends when he was home in Calgary.
Casey was a truly dedicated and loyal friend, who always had people’s back. Even while Casey was often on the road for work, he was always there if anyone was having a tough time. He would always find a way to help out any of the boys if they were in need, whether it be through just a quick text, grabbing a beer, or by convincing them to organize a trip to ensure they wouldn’t be alone.
Casey was at his most outgoing with his friends. He would joke, tease, dance, and also apparently sing (both karaoke, and in the shower, which Chad got to experience as Casey’s frequent roommate on road trips).
He loved his time with the boys, whether they were grabbing a drink at the local bar or heading out on trips to London, Nashville, Vegas, Seattle, Mexico and elsewhere. They had great adventures together, attending sporting events, riding his Harley to Sturgis, or fishing to catch Salmon, Marlin, or… bald eagles (you’ll have to talk to Jeff about that one).
Every single one of Casey’s friends have mentioned that he was one of the best friends a person could have. Loyal, funny, dedicated, and honest, always up for a good time and someone who could always be counted on.
Casey’s reach and impact with others was almost as enormous as his smile. He was respected by those that knew him, whether they were coworkers, teammates, or opponents. His loss has been felt by so many.
Casey was a unique individual, and an exceptional one. A talented athlete, a great coworker, a true friend, a brother, and a son. He was taken from us far too soon.
As I wrap up, I want to relay something that happened this week.
Meghan and I had Steve and Colleen over for Chinese food the other day, and in Steve’s fortune cookie was something that was very fitting for Steve & Colleen as Casey’s parents. The fortune read “you will receive praise for a job well done.” You raised an amazing person who had a far reaching impact on others, and that will never be forgotten by anyone who knew him.
As Casey himself would say: “Ain’t nothing finer than a highliner.” Rest in peace, Lazer. You are loved and will forever be missed."
- Kyle Ostermann
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