Casimira Dasko Voelkel, of Opelika, died Dec. 12, 2022. She was born in Koblenz, Germany, on March 4, 1947, to Laura and John Dasko of Poland. At the age of 4, her family moved to Maryland, entering the country through Ellis Island.
Casi grew up in Baltimore and attended Notre Dame of Maryland University, where she received her undergraduate degree. While a student, she met her future husband, Paul Voelkel, a medical student at the University of Maryland, and they were married Oct. 11, 1969.
While her husband was finishing medical training in Atlanta, Casi attended and graduated from Emory University with a master’s degree in library science. From there, she and Paul moved to Opelika, where Paul accepted a position at Lee County Hospital. They loved the community of Opelika, and its proximity to larger cities, and lived here for 42 years.
While married to Paul and raising two children, she worked at Lewis Cooper Memorial Library and as a local school librarian. Later, the decline of her husband’s health required her to be home full time.
Caring for her family was a top priority in Casi’s life. She was proud to be the mother of two loving children, Valerie Bennett (Wade) of Auburn and John-Paul Voelkel (Christina) of Huntsville. She is survived by her children and their spouses and five wonderful grandchildren: Paul and JJ Bennett and Valyn, Ian and Avery Voelkel. They lovingly called her “Mimi,” as chosen by her first granddaughter, Valyn.
Casi was a longtime member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She was an avid gardener with an enviable green thumb, enjoyed cooking and collecting cookbooks, and traveling to the West Coast, Lake Martin and the Gulf. Her French Bulldog, Margot, was an affectionate companion as was her English Springer Spaniel, Scruffy, her adored pet for 18 years. She also loved pugs, who she came across through friends and family.
She is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Dr. Paul Brown Voelkel.
A service was held at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m., following a visitation from 1 to 2 p.m.. A final private family burial was held after the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to either St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Opelika or St. Michael’s Catholic Church of Auburn.