Gary L. Castillo Obituary
Passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at the age of 70. Loving father of Rebecca (Ben) Efron, Adam (Hannah) Castillo and Zach (Gabby Szymaszek) Castillo. Cherished grandfather of Landon Castillo and Finn Efron. Dear brother of Donn (Jerry) and Sylvia. Further survived by Mari Castillo, other relatives and many friends. Preceded in death by his parents Paul and Maude Castillo, and sisters Hope and Maria.
Gary will be privately laid to rest at River Valley Memorial Gardens in Dundee, IL.
Gary Lee Castillo was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 8, 1951. He resided in Illinois for his entire life before retiring and moving to Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin in 2017. Gary worked as a delivery driver, with local routes through Eby Brown and Moran. Even in his retirement Gary kept driving, he was a 5-star Uber driver in the Milwaukee area. He enjoyed meeting new people, and getting a chance to talk about baseball with anyone who would listen. He loved taking long walks along the Bugline Trail, watching the cheesiest Hallmark or Lifetime movies, and reading any book he could get his hands on.
Gary was known for helping others; it was one of his best qualities. He also had a special place in his heart for animals, especially his cat, Emma, who stayed by his side until the end. Rain or shine, the backyard birds could always count on Gary to feed them enough birdseed to last a lifetime.
There are two things that Gary would want to be remembered for - his immense pride in his children and his unwavering love for the Chicago Cubs. Gary loved his three children and two grandchildren. They were his greatest life achievement. He was their biggest fan and beamed with pride in their interests and accomplishments.
Gary will also be remembered as a diehard Chicago Cubs fan. In fact, to say he was just a "fan" would be an understatement. Baseball was a year-round sport for Gary. He'd kick off each season in January with the Cubs Convention in Chicago (which he attended for 20+ years), followed by tracking new talent through spring training. Gary listened or watched every game of the regular season. He proudly "flew the W" outside his home with each Cubbie win. Sadly, each year the Cubs season ended with heartache, but Gary held out of hope for the year to come. In 2016, hope prevailed and history was made as Gary watched the Cubs win the World Series. He celebrated for days on end. It was a dream come true.
Gary was funny and kind. You would often find him with a Diet Coke on the rocks, sitting in the sun, sporting a cut-off tee, reading the latest James Patterson book. He found joy in the smallest things and shared that joy with everyone around him. Gary will be looking down, proud of the life he led and the family he raised. His loved ones will miss him terribly, but feel his presence with each Cubbies win.
