Ellie Casey; Dynamo for L.A. Causes

Eleanor (Ellie) Casey, who in her years in Los Angeles was a tireless worker for several charities and school support groups and also was one of the first members of the Blue Ribbon 400, a seminal support group of the Music Center, died Monday.

She was 65 and suffered a heart attack while on a trip to the Bahamas with her husband, Albert V. Casey, former postmaster general of the United States, former chairman and chief executive officer of American Airlines and ex-president and director of Times Mirror Co., publisher of the Los Angeles Times.

It was while the Caseys were in Los Angeles in the 1960s and ‘70s that Mrs. Casey became involved with such projects as the Huntington Library, the Hollywood Bowl Volunteers, the Altar Society of St. Philip Catholic Church in Pasadena, Mothers Guild of the Junior and Senior Schools of Mayfield in Pasadena, the National (Catholic) Christ Child Society for needy and handicapped children and many more causes.

At her death she was doing similar work in Dallas, where the Caseys moved after 1974 when he took over American Airlines.

Besides her husband, she is survived by a son, Peter, a daughter, Judith, two grandsons and two brothers.

A funeral service will be held Friday at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in West Roxbury, Mass., where Mrs. Casey was raised.

In lieu of flowers the family is asking contributions to the Covenant House, 440 9th Ave., New York, N.Y., 10001, a favored charity of Mrs. Casey’s.