Christopher Paul Casatelli, born October 5, 1960, passed away on November 21, 2020 with his family by his side. Chris was born at Christ Hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey to Alexander E and Mary Casatelli. When he was born, children with disabilities were not considered to be functioning members of society and were often placed in institutions. In fact, the doctor who delivered him suggested that his mother place him in an institution because he would never even be able to learn to suckle. Chris proved him wrong! Chris was born with Down Syndrome and cardiac and respiratory issues that were so severe the doctors did not expect him to leave the delivery room. However, Chris was a fighter and he and his family did not let his diagnosis of Down Syndrome limit him. Chris attended Pascack Valley High School and graduated in 1978. He then attended The Village School in Rockleigh, NJ for several years. In 1986, he moved into the Westwood House, part of the New Concepts for Living group home organization. Chris was a seasoned traveler, most notably attending the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and going on multiple cruises where he often won large amounts of money at the casino. In 1997, Chris moved to Florida with his parents where he was the first resident to move into Hope Enterprises of America, Inc., a non-profit assisted living facility providing services to developmentally disabled adults. He participated in Special Olympics sports including swimming, bowling, and golf. Chris won a silver medal at the Special Olympics National Golf Competition in the early 2000’s.

Chris was a devout Catholic. He was an altar server at St. Andrews RC Church, in Westwood, NJ, for over a decade. When he moved to Florida, he continued to be an altar server at St. Ignatius of Antioch RC Church in Tarpon Springs for almost 15 years. Chris attended the outdoor mass said by Pope John Paul II at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on October 5, 1995, his 35th birthday. Chris was well known for his love of military and big band music and would often be found in his room conducting with his headphones on. He was also an avid supporter of the US military. He was gifted a blue Navy work shirt specially commissioned for him in 2010 by the nuclear reactor crew of the USS Los Angeles, SSN-688. He would never be found without his signature Navy hat and pins and would always salute people in uniform, including firefighters and police officers.

Chris’s older brother often said you’d think Chris was the pope himself because of how social and giving he was. Chris loved to go around putting his hands on people’s foreheads and blessing them. He loved meeting new people and participating in community activities. When he moved to Florida, he worked at Hess for several years and then Taco Bell for more than a decade. He loved making money and spending money. He also loved his family and pets. Chris was immensely proud of his brother and his nieces and nephews. He loved telling people who his brother was, what schools his nieces and nephew attended, and all about his cat Maggie. He called himself the “Cat Daddy.”

Christopher was predeceased by his brother Douglas, his father Alexander E, his niece Raven, and his mother Mary. He is survived by his brother Alexander M, nieces and nephews Misty, Cheryl, Christopher, Elisheba, David, Sasha, Sara, and Alan and 8 great-nieces and great-nephews. Funeral service information will follow in a separate post when arrangements have been made. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made to Hope Enterprises of America to further the mission started in his honor 22 years ago.