->Destin, Fla. - James Michael "Jim" Casey, 59, of Destin, Fla., passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, May 8, 2011, while at his father's home in Wildwood, N.J.Born in the Bronx, N.Y., to James A. and Mary Casey, Jim attended Bedford Park Academy in New York. He received his bachelor of arts degree in physical education from the University of Santa Fe, N.M., and then his master's degree in military science.Jim is predeceased by his mother, Mary E. Casey.He is survived by his father, James A. Casey; sister, Barbara Heagy and husband, Dennis, of Delaware, sister, Maureen Casey of Connecticut, brother, John Casey and wife, Susan, of Texas, sister, Eileen Casey of New Jersey; sons, Matthew Casey and wife, Tania, of Georgia, James W. Casey and wife, Valerie, of New York, Dillon Casey of Alabama; grandchildren, Matthew, Christian, Jayden, Madelyn, and James; niece, Christine, nephews, Tommy and Michael, nieces, Colleen and Brenna, and nephew, Gavin.Jim joined the U.S. Army in 1976 and proudly served his country for 20 plus years, honorably retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1996. During his service, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC), the Army Commendation Medal with four OLCs, and the Legion of Merit. Along with his many service awards, LTC Casey held an Air Assault Badge, Parachutist Badge, and a Senior Army Aviator Badge. He was a graduate of the Officer Candidate School, Infantry Officer Basic School, and Command and General Staff College. Lt.Col. Casey was qualified in the UH-1 Huey Helicopters and UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopters. He was instrumental in establishing the Aviation Basic Course where he was a TAC officer for the first cycles of the course. He was commander for C Company warrant officer candidates where his company was chosen to be in the made for TV movie, "A Time To Triumph", starring Patty Duke. After being promoted to major, Jim went to South Korea where he was the executive officer (XO) for the 201st Aviation Company. Upon returning to the states, he was selected to attend Command and General Staff College in Residence at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After completing this course, he was assigned XO of the task force 160th Knight Stalkers at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The 160th division of the Special Operations Forces consists of the Army's best qualified aviators and support soldiers and its missions include attack, assault, and reconnaissance and are usually conducted at night, at high speeds, low altitudes, and on short notice. Following his service with the Night Stalkers, Jim was the battalion commander of ROTC at the University of Georgia. After retiring from the Army in 1996, Jim continued to serve his country with MPRI consulting on tactical training operations as a member of the MPRI Kuwait Team. Upon returning to the states, he began employment as an instrument instructor pilot training new army aviators for URS (formerly Lear Seigler Services, Inc.).Jim was well known for his kindness, generosity, and unfaltering willingness to help a person in need. A true outdoors man, he loved kayaking, fishing, and boating in the Gulf of Mexico. In his early 20s, Jim climbed Mount Rainer. He ran numerous marathons and continued his love of running throughout his life. An avid UGA fan, he and his sons and grandsons spent many a Saturday cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs. When he wasn't supporting the Dawgs, Jim was cheering for the Auburn Tigers with his youngest son, Dillon. Whenever he had the chance, Jim would travel to New Jersey to help his father run and maintain the family motel. Whether he was in New Jersey with his dad and family, in Georgia with his son Matt and family, in Alabama with his son Dillon, in New York with his son Jim and family, or hanging out at the beach with friends, you could count on Jim to be where he was needed.The funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. today, May 12, at Ingersoll-Greenwood Funeral Home, 1201 Central Ave., North Wildwood, N.J. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.There is a memorial page set up to share photos and memories at www.JamesMichaelCasey.comIn lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lakeside Baptist Church Carpenters for Christ, 2865 Old Rocky Ridge Road, Birmingham AL 35243.