Richard Casey, chairman and CEO of Square 1 Bank, has passed away unexpectedly. He leaves behind a daughter and his wife, Susan, with whom he co-founded Square 1 in 2005.
“Richard was an inspiration to his family, employees and the larger entrepreneur community,” said Square 1 director Bob Keith, in a prepared statement. “We will work tirelessly with the experienced management team that Richard built to honor his legacy and continue to grow an institution that supports entrepreneurs whose efforts drive innovation and economic growth.”
Before Square 1, Casey had founded and managed the emerging growth unit of Imperial Bank. When Imperial was acquired by Comerica in 2001, he served as a managing director of Comerica Ventures (later acquired by Comerica) and an executive VP of the larger bank.
Services will be held this Saturday afternoon at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Southern Pines, North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations may be made to the Richard J. Casey Foundation — which is devoted to promoting American entrepreneurship — c/o Square 1 Bank, 406 Blackwell Street, Suite 240, Durham, NC 27701.