Joseph Shelby Cage, Jr, was born on February 28, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana. He died peacefully at home in Shreveport on Christmas morning surrounded by his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Shelby and Virginia Cage; in-laws, Burt and Geraldine Sperry; and brothers-in-law, Dr. Ronald Shemwell and Joe Jarred. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Susan Sperry Cage; his daughters, Susanna Van Norman (Russ); Cynthia Cage; son, Shelby Cage (Emily); grandchildren, Van, Cage and Theiler Van Norman, Lily Moloney, and Cort and Gentry Cage. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. Mike Cage (Dianne); sisters, Gin Shemwell and Carol Jarred; brother-in-law, Burt Sperry (Amparo); and many loved cousins, nieces and nephews. Joe graduated from Neville High School in Monroe where he excelled in sports and set state and national records. In 1960, he was named Ark-La-Tex Athlete of the Year and was later inducted into the Louisiana State Track and Field Association Hall of Fame. Upon graduation he attended Louisiana Tech on a track scholarship and later served in the United States Marine Corp. Following his service, he completed his education at ULM in Monroe. He and Susan married in 1968 and moved to Houston, where Joe graduated from the University of Houston, Bates College of Law in 1971. His impressive and extensive law career began when he joined the Criminal Section of the United States Attorney’s office in New Orleans. He then entered private practice in Monroe and thereafter became an assistant US Attorney in Shreveport. In 1982, he was honored with the appointment as United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana by President Ronald Reagan for whom he served two terms. He was then reappointed by President George H.W. Bush for another term. He was chosen to serve as Commissioner for the Louisiana State Police and served in that position for 18 years. Joe also served on several church and community boards through the years. He retired from the practice of law in 2003 after ten years as a member of the defense team of the Capital Assistance Project of Louisiana. In addition to his love for law and history and his passion for fighting crime, Joe loved a cold beer, anything Elvis and a well-planned prank. If you got a call from “Mark Knopfler” or a signed by Elvis Presley you knew you were on Joe’s Top 10 list. Golfing was one of his favorite pastimes. He had many claims to fame, but his greatest achievement was his two-holes-in-one in the same round with odds of 1 in 1.85 billion. Being a daredevil manifested itself in airplane wing-walking, hot air ballooning and flying in F-15s. He loved traveling, especially on the annual family beach trips. His weekly telephone calls with his best friends were always filled with laughter and love. Watching his grandchildren develop their talents in academics, the arts and sports was a source of great joy and pride. Joe’s fierceness in the courtroom, his warrior spirit and strong sense of character were equally balanced by his kindness, unmatched sense of humor and his genuine care for the people he loved. Joe was truly a strong presence in the lives of all who were fortunate to have known him. Grace Episcopal in Monroe, St. Mark’s Cathedral and All Saints Anglican Church were part of the spiritual foundation of Joe’s life. A memorial service will be held at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Shreveport on Monday, December 30, at 11:30 a.m. The burial service will be held at Riverview Cemetery in Monroe on Thursday, January 2, at 11:00 a.m. Immediately following, friends and family will gather at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Mike Cage. The family is deeply grateful for the excellent care provided by Dr. Richard Haynie, Dr. Albert Krause and Dr. Anil Veluvolu, and also to the chemo nurses and the 2nd floor staff at WK North Hospital. Memorial contributions in Joe’s honor may be made to St. Mark’s Cathedral Day School or the charity of your choice.
In Memoriam