Felipe R. "Phil" Castillo

Phil was born on September 20, 1923 in Mexico to Rangel and Rufina Castillo. At the tender age of 14, he traveled to the United States, on his own to explore a new world. He landed in northern California, where he took up work as a farm laborer.

Seeking a greater spiritual need, he moved to Colorado with no opportunities for work or residency. Homeless and on the streets of Ft. Collins, Colorado, he happened upon a gentleman who could offer employment and cared for him. He began working between the Front Range and South Park, Colorado, herding and caring for sheep herds. This was a task he deeply loved and one that would stay in his heart the rest of his life.

Phil married Amy Suazo on May 10, 1952 in Longmont, CO. They would move to the Denver area, so he could work for his ever growing family. For many years he worked in the meat packing industry, including stints with Swift, Armour and Cudahy plants in Commerce City. As this industry consolidated and changed, he found work with Martin Marietta. As a true entrepreneur, he also purchased and ran a successful business in downtown Erie. He changed the direction of the Ten Plus Bar, serving wonderful food, cold beer and entertainment, on weekends largely for the local miners and farm laborers.

Surviving are his wife Amy of Commerce City; his daughters Lisa Castillo of Commerce City; Anna Rosa Castillo of Westminster; Sylvia Montour of Thornton; sons Phil, Jr. (Lynne Grieve) of Denver; Victor (Aubre) of Wheatridge and Carlos (Tonya) of Greenville, Texas; 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

A Recitation of the Rosary will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, July 8 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Immediately following will be a Mass of the Christian Burial. Interment will follow at Longmont Mountain View Cemetery.