Louella ‘Lou’A. Castelucci

Posted on January 10, 2024

Louella “Lou” A. Castelucci, 86, died Dec. 5, 2023, at the Margaret Z. Dozier Hospice House in Tallahassee following a lengthy illness.

She was born Feb. 13, 1937, in Aliquippa, Pa., and married the late Blaine “Cass” Castelucci on Nov. 5, 1955.

They welcomed a son, Phil, on Feb. 14, 1957, and a second son, Allan, March 23,1959.

She read to her boys every night from the time they were babies, and took pride in their thirst for knowledge and a lifetime love of reading.

Together, Cass and Lou owned and operated a number of successful businesses, including a sub shop and, later, Dually Depot, which grew to be the largest installer of auxiliary fuel tanks in the United States.

While Cass was most often the one to interact with customers, it was Lou who handled the day-to-day business operations and kept things running smoothly.

Following the death of her husband in December 2017, Lou began to spend her winters in Florida with her son, Phil, and his wife, Angie. Her circle of friends expanded to include many loved ones in Perry.

She especially enjoyed having dinner at Roy’s Restaurant while watching the sun set over the Gulf. She never met a grouper or catfish dinner she 
didn’t like.

Lou remained fiercely independent and active with her church ladies until the Fall of 2022, when a broken hip led to a need for additional care.

In December 2022, she moved to Brookdale Assisted Living in Tallahassee, where she quickly made friends and enjoyed weekly Bingo games, betting miniature chocolate bars each round.

While Phil and Angie were welcomed visitors, it was her grand-dog, Beulah, who became the belle of Brookdale – prancing through the front door and making a mad dash to her Grandma’s apartment door without any prompting or guidance.

Lou is survived by: her son, Phillip (Angela) Castelucci of Perry; a niece she loved like a daughter, Brenda (Regis) Stief of Beaver Falls, Pa.; and a sister, Rene (Paul) Hertzog of Pennsylvania; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, Jan. 13, at 11 a.m. at Salem Baptist Church. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.

Interment will follow at Salem Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hearts for Hometown Dogs.