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- Biagio's Story
Biagio (Benny) Castiglione, age 92, passed away on the May 18, 2016 at the Briody Health Care Facility in Lockport, NY. Born on September 8, 1923 to Salvatore and Annunziata (Guido) Castiglione in Niagara Falls, NY.
He graduated from Niagara Falls High School in 1941. A World War II veteran, he was inducted into the US Army in 1943 and served with the 82nd Engineers and then the 1115th Engineer Combat Group in Europe, from the invasion of Normandy to the Elbe River in Germany. He was awarded 5 Battle Stars on his European Theatre Ribbon. He attended the University of Buffalo from 1946 to 1952, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He worked at the former Alox Corporation, Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, and Bell Aerospace Systems.
He came from Italian roots with its emphasis on family. His mother died when he was 12. During the depression, his father was unable to support the family and he and his siblings went into foster care. They were to be sent to different homes but his father insisted that they stay together. To his great fortune, the Arnone family took them all in as their own. As a father he stressed the importance of familial bonds. His siblings and extended family always got together for picnics, days at the beach, and holidays. And because he was an avid photographer since his young adulthood, the extended family has rare treasures of photos from their youth through the present. As a final project that lasted years, he assembled the family history and gathered the genealogical information for everyone to know their family story.
He was predeceased by his wife, Mary Colomba 'Collie' Eleuteri Castiglione. He is survived by two sons, Gary (Debi) Castiglione of Loxahatchee, FL, Robert (Carol) Castiglione of Walland, TN; two daughters, Nancy (Gary) Kline of New Tripoli, PA and Carol (Philip) Kratz of Lockport, NY. He had eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother, Peter (Eleanor) Castiglione. He was predeceased by a brother, Joseph (late Gloria) Castiglione; and a sister, Rachel (late Gregory) Foran, all of Lewiston, NY.
There will be no prior visitation. The family will host a celebration of his life at a later date.
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1923 - 2016 (92 years)