Frank Castella

On Tuesday August 4, 2020 Frank Castella passed away at his Columbia, Maryland home. Born in Asbury Park, NJ to Italian immigrants from Sicily, he grew up in Brooklyn, NY and graduated from City College of New York with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering in the Spring of 1958. Continuing to work and study, Frank got an MS in Applied Physics in June of 1960 from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It was in Los Angeles that he met his lifetime love Rosaura (Zeli).

Frank was a principal staff member at John Hopkins University – Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU-APL), retiring in July of 2013 after 55 years of service. Prior to joining JHU-APL he also worked at North American Aviation (NAA), General Electric and Harris Corporation. Frank was an excellent scientist and mathematician, passionate about his work; an innovative problem solver that mentored young engineers and scientists throughout his career. During his tenure at APL Frank published numerous papers, presenting them at international conferences at multiple venues in Europe and Australia, often times accompanied by Zeli.

Frank had a zest for life, living life to its fullest by traveling, attending theatre and symphonies and enjoying every opportunity to interact with family and friends. Frank and Zeli wintered in Palm Beach, Florida where you could often find Frank on the beach, reading a good scientific book and enjoying the coastal breezes. Frank was very proud of his Italian heritage, he loved to discuss his ancestry in terms of language and culture, in particular he enjoyed listening to Pavarotti – his opera and songs such as “O Sole Mio”, always with a glass of Italian wine.

Frank is survived by his wife Zeli, brother and sister-in law Michael and Marion, daughter and son-in-law Gisele and Chris Iacona, son and daughter-in-law Craig and Lei Castella and 3 granddaughters, Isabella, Sophia and Gabriella.

The mass and burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

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