Viola M. (Diorio) Castor

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022 at 10:00am in Saint Anthony of Padua Church for Viola M. (Vi) Castor who died , Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. Vi was born January 16, 1931 in Youngstown, Ohio, daughter of Orazio and Adelina Nerone Diorio who immigrated to Youngstown from Pietrabbondante, Compobasso, Italy.

She was born on the Eastside, lived in Smokey Hollow, and was raised on the Northside of Youngstown, attended St. Edward School, and graduated from The Rayen School in 1950. On November 28, 1953 Vi married her high-school sweetheart, John and they spent a year in Washington, DC where their first son was born in the Bethesda Naval Hospital. They enjoyed dancing at the Elms Ballroom, The Alley Club, and Idora Park Ballroom. She worked at Ohio Bell as a long distance operator, a job which she loved, and was commended in 1952 on a New Years Eve emergency fire call, for handling it efficiently. Vi worked at Century Foods, Verhagen’s Bakery, and also Northside Pool as a locker girl during the summer months.  

She was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Church for over 65 years, its Bus Club, Senior Citizens Club, Alter and Rosary Society where she was a former Financial Secretary and also helped make tarralli for the festival. Vi was a member also, of Telephone Pioneers of America, Moccasin Flower Garden Club as secretary, Girard Tops, Girard City Golf League, Friends of the Girard Library, AARP, The Calendar Girls Birthday Club, The Liberty 55 Plus Seniors, Oblates Auxiliary of the Sacred Heart, Washington Avenue School PTA Secretary, 31 Card Clubs at Uptown Pizza and Liberty Arms Health Care, and a LPGA volunteer.

Vi did volunteer gift wrapping for the Arthritis Foundation at the mall in Naples, Florida at Christmas time while on Vacation and helped students at the Lely and Osceola Elementary Schools make 100 meatballs on the 100th day of school in Florida. She also did gift wrapping at the malls in Youngstown for Second Harvest Food Bank and other charities during the Holiday Season. Vi was also in charge of Girard’s Squaw Creek Ladies Neighborhood Yearly Luncheons which have been taken over by her daughter, Pucci and R.J. Carpenter.

She enjoyed crafting, playing cards with the ladies at Liberty Arms, gift wrapping, which she received an honorable ribbon for at the Canfield Fair, attending Italian Festivals, driving to Florida with her husband, John and reading the Vindicator every day.

Vi is Survived by two sons, Joseph (Luanne) and Anthony “Teenie” both of Girard; a daughter, Miss Annette “Pucci” Castor of Naples, FL; two grandchildren, Joey (Kayla) and Angela Castor-Omran of Girard; two great-grandchildren, Vincent and Santino Castor of Girard; a sister, Edith Patrick of Austintown; a sister-in-law, Anita Castronova; and a brother-in-law, Gabe Appugliese. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John who died May 17, 1999; her son John “Rocky” who died in 1981; her parents; a sister, Beatrice (Pat) Julian; a brother Nick “Nino” (Rosina) Diorio; sisters, Lucy Vitello and Dora (Bob) Lewis; an infant brother who died in Italy, two brothers-in-law, Michael Castronova and Nick Patrick; a sister-in-law, Marie  Appugliese; two nephews, Michael Appugliese and Frank “Peaches” Julian;   a niece, Marianne Diorio; and great niece, Angelique Baldwin of Tampa, FL. 

Friends and family may call at Schiavone Funeral Home from 5-7pm Wednesday, Sept. 14th.

Thank you to the staff at Liberty Arms for the love, care, and support they give their residents.

Donations may be made in Vi's memory to the Oblate Sisters at 50 Warner Rd. Hubbard, OH 44425 or to the Liberty Arms Activity Fund at 1353 Churchill Rd. Youngstown, OH 44505.

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