Gaetano "Guy" Peter Castellano

GUY'S OBITUARY Gaetano Peter Castellano, or Guy as he was known to family and friends, passed away on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 in Medford, Oregon. He was born to Gaetano and Albertina (Longo) Castellano in the Bronx of New York City on April 1, 1934. He was the 5th born of 9 children and a first generation Italian American. His younger sister Lillian is the last surviving sibling. Guy is also survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Gloria, and 5 of their 6 children- Tara, Darren, Vincent, Daniel and James. Guy himself would tell you that a piece of him passed away 40 years ago, when his precious daughter, Andrea Della preceded him in death on Feb. 4, 1981. He is also survived by 22 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. A celebration of Guy's life will be held at a later date when we're able to gather together. GUY'S STORY Guy was born smack dab in the middle of The Great Depression, and life was a struggle right out of the gate. His earliest childhood memories left a lasting impression on his heart, and became a driving force throughout his life, in terms of keeping his own family safe and fed. His formal education didn't last beyond the 4th grade, because he and his older brother, Diego, had to work odd jobs so their family could eat. As an adult, Guy became an avid reader and got lost in books. He told his children that reading was his saving grace when it came to expanding his knowledge and mind for the lack of a formal education. When Guy was 17, he joined the Marine Corps. After boot camp, he was shipped off to Korea where he experienced the extreme trauma of war. That war affected him throughout his adult life, even thru his last days on earth. They now have a diagnosis for that condition it's called Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. In those days, there wasn't a name for the nightmares and anxiety that afflicted so many war veterans. He was awarded a Purple Heart for being wounded in battle, which he said was just a scratch and undeserved in his view. He stayed lifelong friends with the survivors of his platoon, and had several reunions with them. When the war was over, he was a restless soul looking for a different life than he'd experienced up to that point. He eventually headed out west not knowing exactly what was in store for him, but he figured it couldn't be worse than he'd already gone through. That's when he ended up in San Francisco and met Charles O'Donnell, who convinced him to come with him to Yreka to get a job fighting fires with the forest service. One day Charles invited him to accompany him to a friend's house, who just happened to have a gorgeous daughter named Gloria Girdner. Charles had just introduced him to his future wife, and the rest is history, so they say. There's so much more to Guy's story. All of you who knew him and are reading this are part of the story. He loved to laugh with all of his friends and family that he loved so dearly. Many of those friends he made while serving in the Yreka Fire Dept. One can only imagine the stories that are out there! The complete fabric of Guys life was woven over 86 proud years. Let's just say that no one on the planet felt more proud and blessed than my father when it came to his family. We were his life he loved harder than anyone I've ever known, and let us all know that his love had no limits to its capacity. He loved us all unconditionally and completely, every single day of his life. He often said through the years that if his life were to end tomorrow, he was blessed to have loved us all, and would have absolutely no regrets. I know I speak for our entire family when I say that we were the ones who were blessed by his incredible love. We are all proud of the way he lived his life. We know his journey has just begun. We imagine him with his arms around his little girl, never have let go since the moment she greeted him at heaven's gate.

Gaetano "Guy" Peter Castellano

April 1, 1934 - January 26, 2021