Eugene Castiglione

1928 - 2020

BENLD — Gene (Deke) Castiglione was born June 30th, 1928 to Guy Castiglione and Adella (Soda) Castiglione in Chicago, Illinois. He passed away at 12:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7th, 2020 at Saint John's Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, surrounded by his family.

He was a talented four sport athlete at Benld High School, where he graduated in 1946. He played football, track and basketball, but his best sport was baseball. In 1947 Hall of Famer, George Sisler, signed Gene to the Dodgers Minor League System, with whom he had a contract for six years. During that time frame, he played for the Dodger Minor League Teams, Ponca City, Oklahoma; Greenville, Soth Carolinia; Ashville, North Carolinia; Great Falls, Montana; and Knoxville, Tennesse.

Each year Gene played in the minors, he was chosen for the All Star Team. In 1949, while in the KOM League, he played alongside baseball great Mickey Mantle on the All-Star Team. That year Mickey Mantle had 13 home runs and Gene had six homeruns, for which he was extremely proud.

Gene was rated the best defensive 2nd baseman in the Dodger Minor League System that year. Every year when baseball season ended, Gene was honored, along with two high school classmates who were also in the minor league, Cubby Contratto and Emil Borgini, at their hometown of Benld, Illinois, where these athletes were celebrated with a parade and a big baseball game. Gene served in the U.S. Army from 1951 – 1952. While serving in the Philippines as a surveyor, he played baseball on the weekends with the Philippines Semi-Pro Team. In 1951, he was chosen to play baseball with the U.S. 10th Airforce Pacific Tournament Team.

After his military service and baseball, Gene was a successful businessman at IBM in St. Louis, Missouri, for 10 years, working his way up from typewriter repair to supervisor. While working at IBM, he served as a Bird Dog Scout for the Major League Team, the Houston Colts. Gene experienced success at Echlin Manufacturing Plant in Litchfield, Illinois, where he met his wife, Sharon, and served as a foreman until retirement.

Gene was a loving brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He lived a long life, enjoying his retirement and spending time with friends and family.

He is survived by wife, Sharon (Dooley) Castiglione; brother, Frank Castiglione; Stepson, Scott Reynolds; granddaughter, Stephanie Reynolds and her spouse, Kyle Ruppert; great-granddaughters, Krysten and Abby Ruppert, and their soon to be born brother or sister.

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