Father Stephen Edward Casmus, of Fontana, CA, born February 22, 1957 in Sumter, SC, died Tuesday, March 24, 2020, after a challenging struggle with Cancer. He is preceded in death by his parents, Mark Anthony and Alicia Ann (Gallagher) Casmus, and his beloved wife Karen (Arthur) Casmus; and survived by his mother-in-law Bettie Arthur, four brothers: James Mark, Anthony Morgan and his wife Carol, John Damian and his wife Laura, and Paul Andrew. He also leaves five nieces and nephews: Morgan, Jonathan, Katy, Jenny, and Jacob and three grand nephews and a grandniece.
After graduating from Texas A&M University in 1979, Stephen embarked on a nearly 35-year career as an engineer, beginning in Lafayette, LA where he met and married Karen. Never one to turn down an adventure, engineering took him to Colorado, North Dakota, Alberta, Alaska, New Orleans, a commission in the United States Navy, and finally Nevada where he served as a Civil Engineer for the cities of North Las Vegas and Henderson. It was in Las Vegas that his life joyfully shifted to the East and his greatest adventure began.
A lifelong Roman Catholic, Stephen discovered and was received into the Byzantine Catholic Rite and became a faithfully involved member of Our Lady of Wisdom parish. Under the guidance and spiritual direction of Fr. Francis Vivona, Stephen discerned a call to ministry and was ordained a Deacon in 2003. After the 2012 death of his wife and 11 years of diaconal service to the community of Our Lady of Wisdom; in 2014 he ventured to Pittsburgh, PA where he completed his vocational formation for the priesthood. With his presbyteral ordination in 2016, Fr. Stephen returned briefly to serve his parish family at Our Lady of Wisdom before accepting the assignment and opportunity to serve and nurture the people of Fontana, CA and of St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine Catholic Church.
Fr. Stephen often spoke enthusiastically of the love and affection he had for his many families. Not only did he love his four brothers and extended family, but that love extended to his brother priests, his brother Knights, his fellow veterans, his fellow parishioners past and present, his fellow ministers, and of course his fellow bingo enthusiasts.
Fr. Stephen’s deep seated devotion to God is evidenced by the three cardinal virtues and how he manifest them in his own very challenging personal situation: Faith in God’s will, Hope in His mercy for each of us, and Charity for all regardless of the perceived size of the obstacle we face. It could be said that Fr. Stephen raised yet another quality of his to the status of virtue, and that would be his sense of humor. Fr. Stephen’s absence from this world will be deeply felt, but his presence in heaven is his everlasting gift to us all.
Due to current public health concerns, a private funeral liturgy with the immediate family will be celebrated at 10 am on Saturday March 28, 2020. It will be livestreamed on Facebook http://m.facebook.com/stephen.washko. Honorary pallbearers include Don Slaven, Tim Gallagher, Jonathan Casmus, Jacob Casmus, Ken Costigan, and Joe Hostman. Public memorial services will be conducted at a later date in both Fontana and Las Vegas. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to memorialize Fr. Stephen may consider a donation to St Nicholas of Myra, Fontana or Our Lady of Wisdom, Las Vegas.
