Esteemed Federal Government columnist and radio host Norman “Mike” Causey passed away late last month at the age of 82.
At the Federal News Network and WTOP Radio studios in Friendship Heights, Causey had wrapped up recording a radio segment when he was found unresponsive in his office by a colleague. Valiant bystander CPR, as well as attempts from Montgomery County Fire & Rescue, proved unsuccessful.
Causey joined Federal News Network, previously Federal News Radio, in the early 2000s. Prior to jumping over to radio, Mike Causey wrote the iconic Federal Diary daily column in the Washington Post. Causey remained a newsroom legend at Federal News Network and throughout the Federal Government. At FNN, his columns and posts were frequently their most popular online content. Mike Causey is also credited with popularizing the now-mainstream phrase “Inside the Beltway.”
In a tweet, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin remembered Mike Causey as “a fierce advocate for the federal workforce. His institutional knowledge, which was legendary, and his distinct voice will be missed dearly. My condolences to his family and colleagues.”
An online Federal News Network remembrance, posted shortly after Causey’s death, highlighted how “Mike never took himself, or the content, too seriously…Former Federal News Network workforce reporter Nicole Ogrysko…recalled how Causey, preferring to read things in hard copy, once tried to print out the entire bill text of the Affordable Care Act — all 974 pages of it”.
Mike Causey’s grandson, Tyler Guthrie, highlighted Causey’s extensive familial presence in Montgomery County. The day he died, Causey had been planning to meet family at Pines of Rome, an Italian Restaurant that Causey had been visiting with two generations of his family for almost four decades. He also patronized Wild Tomato restaurant in Cabin John, where he lived for more than three decades, and the Irish Inn at Glen Echo. Causey’s morning routines often revolved around stopping for coffee and visiting friends at Cabin John’s Market on the Boulevard.
Causey’s son, Michael Causey, further emphasized how much Causey loved Montgomery County and the surrounding area, remembering him as a man of the World who especially loved the DC area. Mike loved spending time along the C & O Canal and visiting other establishments including Clyde’s of Chevy Chase, Signature Cigars, and Cafe Deluxe.
After hearing of his death, the owners of Signature Cigars hung Mike Causey’s photo on the wall of their shop, in remembrance of an exceptional journalist and pillar of the community.
Featured Image: Family Photo
