Carmelo Vincent Casale

Carmelo "Charlie" Casale, 94, passed peacefully on June 14 at St. Francis Hospital, Roslyn, NY. Charlie was born in Astoria, Queens, on October 13, 1925, to Italian immigrants, Pietro and Angela Casale. One of four boys, he was preceded in death by his older brother, Richard (Marie) and younger brother, Alfred (Catherine). He is survived by his wonderful wife of 61 years, Carmela (Valeo) Casale, daughters, Valerie (Thomas) Rowe, Andrea (Ralph) Cipriani and his youngest brother, Fernando "Bippy" (Joni) Casale. He was a proud and loving grandfather to six grandchildren: Jillian (Frank) Scarfo, Christopher and Zachary Rowe; and Luke, Andrew and Matthew Cipriani as well as beloved nieces and nephews.
At the young age of 19, Charlie fought with bravery and distinction at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant before returning home from the war. He completed his education and became a stationary engineer, running high pressure boilers for large industrial buildings and hospitals. He married his one and only, Carmela Valeo, on February 1, 1959 and the two had 61 amazing years together.
Charlie was first and foremost a hard worker. His goal in life was to lift up his family, give them a nice home, send his girls to college, and see them happy in their lives. He was always ready to help a friend or neighbor. He was great at plumbing, electrical work, and whatever needed to be done around a house. He could often be found under someone's sink or fixing a friend's washing machine. He loved good food, wine, the Yankees and the Jets. He cherished his friends of whom there were many. He enjoyed opera, a good party and a gin & tonic in the sunshine. He was an avid stock market analyst and followed politics with passion. He was proud to be an Italian American and his knowledge of history was vast and learned. He will be missed terribly, but we will take with us the lessons he taught us by the way he lived his life - Live honestly, work hard, be strong, and never give up. He was truly a patriot and a gentleman.
Funeral Mass 11 am Wed., June 17, 2020 at St. Patrick's Church, 235 Glen St., Glen Cove, NY 11542 In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Travis Manion Foundation, an organization that empowers veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. travismanion.org