David Leroy Catey
February 6, 1938 ~ December 28, 2014
Formerly of Oakton, Va., passed away on Sunday, ecember 28, 2014 at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Va. He is survived by his wife, Marylyn S. Catey, his children, Eric, Terese and Michael and his grandchildren, Morgan and Brian. The family will receive friends at the Money & King Funeral Home, 171 W. Maple Ave., Vienna, Va on Saturday, January 10th from 1-3 PM. Graveside services will take place at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
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Dave and I met at the FAA. He taught me most of what I know about aviation and FAA operating regulations. He was the “father of part 119.” He was a patient, kind and gentle soul. He was my friend. Years ago, when my brother John and I were on vacation in New England, we met Dave and Marylyn. Marylyn was attending a conference in Boston. Dave, John and I went on a drive to New Hampshire where we visited a Budweiser brewery and saw the Clydesdale horses. Dave was very dedicated to aviation safety and to people in Flight Standards Service. Whenever FAA staff attorneys and I had questions about FAA safety rules or DOT economic rules, we’d go to Mr. Catey’s office. He always made time for his colleagues. Rest in Peace, Dave. Your friend Joe
Dave was the GREAT Pilot a we flew many mission into Gitomo. Great person to frinds with.
Col Catey, my condolences on your husband’s passing. I’m not sure I ever flew with Dave, but Col Marylyn Catey was an excellent Flight Nurse and mentor!! I can remember her telling me during Instructor upgrade, “you haven’t conducted a good Instruction Ride uless you’re hoarse at the end of the flight”!! Those were the days before wireless headsets!! I hope you can find comfort from all the great AF memories and relationships!! Again, my condolences to you and your family.
David, You will be missed. Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed our days working together at McGuire and later on at FAA Flight Standards. Linda and I send our deepest sympathy to your family and friends.
Dave was a good and kind-hearted man who always had a postive take on all things. He was instrumental in guiding my first years in the FAA, sharing his “Yoda”-like coucil with me whenever I had questions. I won’t ever forget his big smile he had for me everytime I came into his office with yet another question. I could never know as much as Dave and never come close to filling his shoes, both professionally and personnaly. May his soul rest in peace!
Please accept my deepest sympathies and know that Dave is and will be missed. I first met Dave when I was a gum shoe inspector in an FAA field office. In 2002 I joined AFS 200 at Headquarters and soon discovered that when you needed any history about a subject Dave was the Man. Over the next 10 years I relied on Daves knowledge and experience to guide many of my assigned projects. He was an individual that always had time for you and never made you feel unimportant even though your questions stretched the boundaries of reasonableness. I retired in Jan of 2013 and will always remember the kind gentleman that guided me through many difficult situations. Yes, Dave will be remembered for being a kind and thoughtful friend as well as the gentleman he was. May God Bless and keep you.
I am so sorry for your loss. Please know that my thoughts & prayers are with you.
I am sorry for your loss. Dave leaves a large hole behind him. I met him in 1998 during a detail to FAA HQ. In September 2001, I was assigned to AFS-200, where Dave worked until he retired. Dave was the Division’s “go to” person for AFS rules and complexities of restarting commercial aviation in the middle east. He was also my “hospital mate” when I was in for a surgery in 2005 – he was in a different wing than I was but we snuck in a quick “hello” just the same! I will miss his kindness and his readiness to help his fellow employees.
My heartfelt sorrow and condolences to the family of Mr. Catey. He was the go-to guy of AFS-200, with a wealth of knowledge he shared with everyone at the FAA. He will be missed by everyone.
To All, So sorry to hear of the passing of Uncle David! I have some very fond memories of him as a child growing up on the farm:) Sorry we haven’t been in touch over the years, but life does have a way of getting in the way! Pray you all have faith that he is in heaven with his Mother and Brothers/ Sister in heaven. My God guide you through the journey of grief. Love, Vicki L. Catey-Gray 672 N Spring St. Wabash, IN 46992
Goodbye my dear friend. You were my colleague, my mentor and my friend. Your door was always open and there was always a place to sit ( among the piles of papers) to visit and talk and plan and work through the issues. Your kind presence and wisdom will be greatly missed.
Dave was a wonderful teacher, mentor and colleague who was always so generous with his knowledge. He made time for anyone who needed his help or guidance. I am so grateful to have worked with him and to have learned so much from him. My deepest sympathy goes to his family.
I have so many fond memories of working with [for] Mr. Catey…yes, most of us did not refer to him as “Dave” but respectfully as “Mr. Catey”….he was one of a kind. He had forgotten more than anyone else ever knew about the FAA and the DOT and was highly respected for his generosity in sharing that knowledge. I loved it when he would call me in and say, “we need an “opspec” for xxxx” and we would work it through and implement it. He was never my official supervisor but I felt like I worked for him and loved the opportunity to do so. I miss those days. Thank you Mr. Catey for all you gave to the safety of aviation and teaching the rest of us.
Mr. Catey kept an office with piles of paper everywhere. Whenever someone needed an answer to a question Dave could go to the correct pile and pull out the correct paper. Asking anyone other than Dave Catey usually got, “I remember that but I don’t remember where I read it”. We once had a contest to name Dave’s office. The winning name was “Cateyism”.
Dave was a Prince of a man and although I have not seen him for several years his friendship and work ethic will always be remembered. Dave and I started at the New York Air Carrier District Office on the same day, July 3. He started 1-year earlier than I did but we always celebrated our anniversary together when we could. Even back then Dave was my mentor. We both flew in the Reserves at different bases so our Air Force backgrounds were similar. That did not prepare me for flying in the cockpit as an FAA Inspector. Dave was always available to give guidance and encouragement. He was known in the air carrier world as a demanding but fair inspector. The new inspectors at the New York office would seek Dave out when we needed some help on how to do our job. Dave left New York and moved to Washington HQ where he quickly became a manager. A few years later he hired me as a staff member of his regulatory branch and once again he was my mentor and guidance counselor. Later as Dave’s health became an issue he became a special assistant to the Division Manager but he was still providing guidance. I actually don’t know how he got anything done because he always had a line of people asking if he had a minute. Those minutes would always become 10-minutes, 20-minutes or longer but he never turned anyone down. They came for help and he had a vast store of papers, background material and personal knowledge that he was always willing to share. He was a fine man and I am proud that I knew him and called him my friend. Rest in peace Dave.
I had the good luck to work with Dave up until he retired. Despite all the frustrations that went with working in his policy job he just smiled and kept at it. He was our corporate memory and always was right. He was indeed know as “Yoda,” and it was a well deserved nickname. I was lucky to be part of his “work family,” and will continue to think of him often.
The thing that stands out in my memory about Dave was that he was always so calm. When everyone around him (at the FAA) was in an uproar and yelling at each other, Dave was quiet and calm — and polite. When he spoke, everyone listened because he was calm and stayed above the fray. We need to clone people like him in every aspect of our lives.
Sorry to hear of Dave’s passing. I met Dave when I transferred from the AEG in Ca in 1988 to AFS-200. Dave was our go to guy at Hq for current and past knowledge of flight standards rules and regs. Always had time to help someone out. THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE DAVE. RIP Ross C
Sorry for your loss.
I am very sorry to hear of Dave’s passing. My sincere condolences to his family and all his friends. Although I had not seen him for many years his friendship, knowledge of aviation, and his work ethics will always be remembered. Dave and I first met in the FAA’s Air Carrier Operations Indoctrination course in Oklahoma City in July 1977 (Class 77-04.) Our first duty assignments were at the New York Air Carrier District Office where we both started on the same day, July 3, 1977. Our careers then took us to FAA Headquarters where we both worked together as colleagues in Flight Standards (AFS-200) for many years. What was most impressive about Dave was both his corporate memory, the ever present stack of Federal Registers in his office, and his ability to stay cool, calm, and collected in the face of adversity and his ability to always remain polite, professional, and to stay above the fray. May he rest in peace.
Marylyn & Family, Please accept Sue & Jim Gardner’s deepest sympathies and know that Dave is already sorely missed. I (Jim) first met Dave as a Chicago Air Carrier Ops ASI in the early 1990’s when I needed some technical assistance and guidance from our policy division. Dave always knew where to find the answer. Beginning in 1997 when I moved to HQ, I worked closely with Dave for over 5 years. I have always considered Dave to be my mentor and friend and especially enjoyed our daily lunches together! As I moved out of HQ within our FAA organization, I always made it a point to come back and visit with Dave and found that he never changed with his calm demeanor and smiling face. Always so warm and inviting. His organizational skills were unbelievable, and he always used his “magic finger†to find that piece of paper in a filing system I could never master. Dave always made time for me and his efforts have helped both myself and Sue and so many others. Aviation is a much safer industry as a result of his efforts. Rest in Peace Dave, Your Friends Jim & Sue Gardner, Plainfield, Illinois
Circa 1979, Dave and I were two of four new ASI(O) types that the FAA had hired into the New York Air Carrier District Office in Valley Stream, NY. It was a strange beginning. We were four new-hires and we must have stood around in the office for close to 30 minutes before someone finally acknowledged our presence and started us into the work environment. We then learned that we were coming to work on the first day in which the FAA’s International Field Office, previously located at JFK Airport, was combined with the Air Carrier District Office. Because of the new combination, we were being ignored because the ACDO people thought that we were from the IFO and vice-versa.
I worked in AFS-800 from 2001 to 2006. Dave Catey always had a smile! I never saw Dave in a bad mood. He was always friendly, a real gentleman, and a credit to the FAA. My condolences go out to the family. He will be missed.
My deepest condolences to the family. May you find comfort in the Father of tender mercy and God of all comfort,who comforts us in all our trials.As we look forward to His promise when “Death will be no more”
I met Dave when I joined the FAA in 1996 and started working with him on U.S. flight bans over hostile territories. He taught me so much about the world of aviation safety, and was 125% dedicated to ensuring the safety of American aviators and traveling public. As a result of his leadership, even after he retired, US aviation continued to be protected over hostile countries such as the Ukraine, when other countries did not understand the risks. You will be greatly missed, Dave.
I had the pleasure of knowing both Dave when he was a reservist (pilot) in the 335th MAS and Marylyn, when she was a Flight Nurse reservist in the 72nd/714th AES at McGuire AFB, NJ. Two wonderful people. Marylyn & family – I am so sorry for your loss. Sincerely, Dora Winslow Retired, Secretary 514th AMW & 714th AES McGuire AFB, NJ
I got to HQ in 1988 and Dave was already there. I was in AFS-400 and Dave was in AFS-200, when I needed info about Air Carries that I could take to the bank, only one guy to go to, Dave. Not only was he a welt of FAA info regarding Air Carriers but was willing to answer questions in an accurate and timely manner. Dave was well liked and appreciated by the people of AFS and I’m sure was missed when he retired. REST IN PEASE DAVE Ross Cusimano
Many time we flew together and we had a great time. He always made a great landing in Guantanamo,Cuba. I know iwas in the jump seat. Thanks Dave for the Great flights.
I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Dave when I was assigned to AFS-200 in Dec 1988. Dave was a wealth of info on AFS history. Never saw Dave in a foul mood nor upset with anyone. He was a steadfast member of the AFS-200 team. Wish more people where like him. Rest in Gods hands Dave Ross C