Anita L. CASTALDI

CASTALDI, Anita L.

Mrs. Anita Louise Castaldi, 82 of West Hartford, passed away on Monday, May 6, in the presence of family. She was born Oct. 23, 1930 in Chicago, IL. She was the surviving spouse of Dr. Cosmo R. Castaldi, with whom she celebrated 59 years of marriage. She is survived by her brother Delbert Springer, her four children: Joseph, Daniel, Peter, and Diane, as well as seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She was educated in the Chicago area and completed the nursing program at Augustana Hospital - School of Nursing, and was certified as a Registered Nurse. Anita met her husband Cos through a mutual patient while working at Children's Hospital in Chicago. They were married in 1951, and had their first child in 1953 in Indianapolis where she began her life long career as mother, homemaker, and friend to all. Anita had a wide variety of interests, but most important to her was her family. She enjoyed cooking, knitting, quilting, and sewing. She read extensively, loved classical music and opera, and was a wiz at crossword puzzles. One of her favorite outings was to have a picnic on the lawn at Tanglewood. She spent many hours gardening in her perennial flower beds. She set the example for her family by always volunteering her time despite her otherwise busy life. She delivered Meals-on-Wheels, and was involved with League of Women Voters. She was a Red Cross and a hospice volunteer. She taught English to families who were new to this country. She also gave her time at the UConn Health Center information desk and the gift shop. Anita and Cosmo travelled the world and often hosted international students in their home. As a grandmother, she gave unending attention to help raise the next generation of Castaldi children - a day with grandma will always be a cherished memory. With grace and courage, following the career opportunities of Cosmo between 1955 and 1974, she packed the family eight times and took charge of their moves from Indianapolis, IN to Edmonton, Alberta to Winnipeg, Manitoba to Portland, OR to Bloomfield, CT, and finally to West Hartford. Despite all the upheavals of moving she maintained her calm, positive, cheerful personality. When they settled in West Hartford, on a small apple farm at the edge of town, she was adamant that she wanted to make this move her last. In her later years, her one wish was to live the rest of her life in her home; which she was able to do. She lived the last 39 years of her life in West Hartford, the longest continuous residence of her life. To the very end, she remained bright, engaging and interested in the things she loved. For those who knew her personally she never lost her warm loving smile that we all remember so fondly. She was the living angel that held our family together. If you would like to do something in memory of Anita please consider supporting one of Anita and Cosmo's favorite organizations, The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists, 2070 Peachtree Industrial Ct., Atlanta, GA 30341 (770-986-7764 or mfpausa@bellsouth.net) Early in Cos's career he manufactured a device which allowed a quadriplegic to hold a brush in their teeth which meant they could continue painting. These artists have organized and currently sell their work in the form of cards, bookmarks, and calendars. Anita and Cos supported them through the purchase of their work. For a more traditional gift you may make donations to the Castaldi Lecture Fund at the University of Connecticut Foundation, 10 Talcott Notch Rd, Ste 100, Farmington, CT 06032. This was set up years ago when Cos retired, and grows with each donation. This fund pays for an annual guest lecturer who travels to UConn to speak on various current issues in the dental profession.
Friends are invited to join Anita's family for a celebration of her life on Friday May 31 in the Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford beginning at 11:30 a.m. with visitation and followed by a Service of Remembrance at 12:30 p.m. Online remembrances may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com.