Democrat enjoyed the thrill of politics

9/19/2006

Charles C. Cashen, 75, of Toledo, a longtime Oregon resident who once was active in the Lucas County Democratic Party, died Saturday in St. Charles Mercy Hospital of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure.

He was described by his son, John Cashen, as a "very caring" man who enjoyed working with the public in government jobs in Oregon and Lucas County, from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Those jobs included stints as Lucas County's chief deputy treasurer; the county's interim recorder and chief deputy recorder; a deputy county clerk; a maintenance employee in the Oregon water department; an Oregon Plan Commission member, and a Democratic Party precinct committeeman.

His son said his father enjoyed the thrill of trying to get candidates elected. Those candidates included his wife, Mary Ann Cashen, who served for years on Oregon City Council. She died in 1991. But Mr. Cashen's work went beyond politics. For 37 years, Mr. Cashen was involved with Alcoholics Anonymous.

"He didn't mind if people knew. He was very public about it," his son said. "He was not embarrassed about it and neither am I."

Mr. Cashen enjoyed fishing and golfing until health problems limited his activity several years ago. He was born Oct. 25, 1930. He graduated from Macomber Vocational High School and attended the University of Toledo. He was a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War.

Mr. Cashen was a member of St. Ignatius Church in Oregon and the Oregon Volunteer Fire Department.

He had one of the region's first open heart surgeries in 1964.

Survivors are his son, John Cashen; sisters Theresa Epker and Verna Forgach, and one grandson.

He donated his body to the University of Toledo college of medicine.

Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Ignatius Church in Oregon. Arrangements are being handled by the Eggleston Meinert Pavley Funeral Home, Oregon chapel.