Eulogy pages 1-3
It all began to make sense to us in a piazza in Tuscany in 2003. There we saw all the men speaking, no one listening, but it was clear they were all speaking with great passion. 

If there is one word that could capture my father, it might well be passion. He was passionate about everything. On a scale of 1-10 in importance, everything was a ten. Cancer was a 10. If you left your shoes in the wrong place- that was a 10. If you used the wrong tool preparing a meal- that was definitely a 10.

It was his passion that drove what was a truly remarkable life sto-ry. Like most of us, he lived his life running hard from a past that troubled him, and running even harder toward a future of unlim-ited potential. 

Dad was shy about his past. He was raised in very trying circum-stances. He and his brothers didn’t know how poor they were un-til one holiday a local charity showed up at their house to provide them with a meal. They had nothing. He told us they would steal shirts off the clothes lines in the neighborhood because they couldn’t afford to buy them for themselves.

When mom and dad went on their honeymoon, they packed ba-loney sandwiches, and put the car in neutral on the downhill grade to save gas on their way to Kentucky for an overnight in Lake Cumberland.

When his parents divorced he was put in the impossible position of trying to guide his two younger brothers and seeking to care for his mother, his own father largely absent.

He was never given the luxury of a formal education beyond High School- something he didn’t want people to know- and yet it is something of which we are most proud; because he accom-plished far more with far less than do most of us do who have been given so much. He literally worked his way out.

And he would get so frustrated with any of us when he would hear us say- “well, that can’t be done”- or “that will never hap-pen”- he would say “that is the problem with you people, you are always finding excuses for why you can’t do things- you just need to find a way or make a way.”

He was truly self-educated in every aspect of his life. He had a relentless drive to learn, even to master whatever happened to be his latest interest. 

Dad had a near photographic memory. This allowed him to con-sume volumes of information from books or seminars or personal conversations and retain most of what he learned in one pass. 

He could tell you the plot line of books that he read years ago. He could visit a city learn his way around in a couple of days and return several years later and have perfect recall of the map in his mind. If he drank a wine the liked, he simp-ly stored the name in the vault and never forgot. He had hundreds of names of different wines stored in his mind.

He was, of course, the consummate salesman. “No” to him simp-ly meant you do not yet have enough information in order to say yes. 

We brought some of his photographs into his room last week just to brighten the atmosphere- he tried to sell them to the nursing staff!

Eulogy pages 4-5

Combine a drive for achievement, an insatiable appetite for learning and his God given gifts and abilities and you have a rec-ipe for his remarkable success.

After serving four years in the United States Air Force in 1961 he began his career here in Columbus selling insurance with Mutual of New York. Though he won many honors there, he was a risk taker and so he broke out and established Joseph Casselli & As-sociates and Cass Financial Strategies becoming an expert in charitable tax planning. 

He traveled extensively providing retirement and estate planning and education for the American Academy of Orthopedic Sur-geons as well as other organizations and individuals.

In fact, many of you are here today because you knew him through his business.

Now take all of that passion and pour it into his private life and personality and you have a sense for the man as we knew him.

Dad never met a stranger…literally. He talked to everyone, eve-rywhere, all the time- and it was always his objective to win them over or to make them laugh. He had an uncanny instinct for read-ing people.

Put him in a taxi cab in NYC or Paris with the hardest driver in the city and he would go to work- My daughter has memories of being mortified by him singing to cabbies in Paris in order to pry a smile out of them…which he did.

If you put our Father in a room where children were present, be-fore long you would find him off in a corner surrounded by gig-gling kids being entertained by old routines that the rest of us had endured repeatedly.

Three weeks ago we visited the cancer ward in preparations for his first treatment. Before we left he had all the nurses smiling and laughing with him. 

Even this past week from his hospice bed, he would deliver one liners to (or about) the nursing staff that would evoke laughter from those saints who serve in that sad place.

Like the new Mercedes Benz campaign- our father’s approach to life was “the best or nothing.” He wanted the best for himself, for his business, for his family and friends. He pursued perfection in everything he did and pushed all of us to do the same.

We were not just to get the job done, but, as he did, we were al-ways taught to exceed expectations - something that continues to challenge all of us to this day.

We all know he was always dressed impeccably. He was once voted the best dressed man in Columbus by Columbus Monthly Magazine. 

When his friend Lou emptied his locker at the club last week, he brought home 11 golf hats! Who has 11 golf hats? We all know why he had 11 hats. They were all different colors- one to match whatever outfit he was wearing that day.

And don’t get us started on food or wine. Many of you had the pleasure- or the nightmare of dining with him. He learned to cook well himself which elevated his expectations of others to near impossible standards. But, when he found a dish or a restaurant he enjoyed, he wanted nothing more than to share it with every-one else.

And wine? Nothing frustrated him more than sitting down for a good meal only to discover a poor wine selection. In fact, last week he found out we were all having BBQ and when he heard we were drinking some of his wine, he was furious- not because we were drinking his wine, but because we had paired the wrong vintage with the BBQ!

Eulogy pages 6-7
Dad’s passion extended to every aspect of his life. He lived life at the extremes:

He didn’t simply sell insurance- somehow he sold a policy to John Glenn when Glenn was running for President surrounded by a full compliment of secret service.

He didn’t simply play golf- somehow ended up playing in a tour-nament sponsored by the King of Morocco and was paired with Lee Travino! 

When he planned a family vacation, it was surfing in Hawaii or diving or sailing in the Caribbean. 

A father-son outing for him was 8 days rafting down the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon, or fishing in a remote lake in Canada accessible only be sea plane. 

He traveled the world and after falling in love with Italy returned there with mom more than a dozen times.

When he decided we needed to have a fish tank in our old house- it had to be a 50 gallon monster with salt water shrimp, sea anemones and clown fish. 

When he got into photography- he couldn’t drop his film off at the drug store like a normal human being- he build a dark room in the basement so he could learn to do it himself.  

His passion for adventure led him to scuba diving in the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, bungi jumping off a bridge in New Zealand (at age 68); and fishing in the Amazon.

And of course he photographed his way around the world. He had a gift for capturing all the beauty of the world and preserving it on film. He simply appreciated beauty and wanted to share it with others.

As intense as he was about his own life- he was equally intense in his giving to others. Dad was weirdly generous. Stories of his largesse are legendary. Without a doubt- giving was his love lan-guage. 

When my sister Jennifer was in HS she had a friend who needed a car in order to get to work and school, and so he gave her one of ours. She sent a note years later saying she never would have graduated college without that car.

Michele will never forget the day he showed up at her place of employment in the yellow Camaro he purchased for her on her sixteenth birthday! Jen and I have no idea what he was thinking!

As a child she recalls seeing a long blue wool coat with gold but-tons that she really wanted. He told her it was too expensive- and of course he was winking at the cashier as he said it- only to have it show up under the Christmas tree…a seemingly simple act that he repeated over and over again, particularly at Christ-mas.

He loved to shower us with gifts at Christmas- it took all morning to open the obscene pile of gifts- and he was more excited about it than we were.

Each year before school he would take the girls on a personal shopping trip for new school clothes in order to keep them in the current fashions.

When he found out his brother Bobby needed help transporting his daughter’s soft ball team, he bought him a van.

He used to travel weekly for work, and of course he became best friends with the Skycaps at he airport- So, when it came time for one his regular wardrobe purges- which was necessary from time to time- he loaded up his trunk and gave a pile of clothes to his new friends curbside.

On more than one occasion he paid for us all to gather together as a family,- in Italy, at Disney World, or often here in Columbus. 

When he was hardly able to speak in the last week, he took great joy in being able to give gift cards to his favorite nurses to Third and Hollywood- a restaurant he loved; and he was so proud to tell them that his granddaughter Anna was the manager. 

He even planned a weekend getaway for Michele and her hus-band Bryce from his bed.

And if his giving was a measure of his love, then it is clear to us all that he loved Mom most, for he tried his best to give to her every good thing this life has to offer. Though it was hard for him to express it in other ways, we know He loved you most Mom.

Eulogy pages 8-9

Sadly, his life ended just as all of our lives will end this side of heaven. The Scriptures tell us that the wages of sin is death, and we are all sinners, having fallen short of what God requires of us.

It is an awe-some thing to watch someone pass into eternity- lit-erally- filled with awe- for the Scriptures also tell us “it is appoint-ed for man to die once, and then comes judgment.” 

We will all come face to face with our maker in order to give an account for our lives.

But, thankfully our maker is also our redeemer and the grace available in Jesus Christ is more than sufficient to cover our sin.

I shared with dad in recent days the story of the thief on the cross from Luke’s gospel where the thief admits that he deserves to be hanging there, while Jesus was innocent, and he asks Je-sus for mercy.

And based upon the confession of his own sin and a simple faith in Jesus as the savior, Jesus promised him “today you will be with me in paradise.”

If this account tells us anything it tells us that God in Christ is a God of mercy to sinners- this man never had a chance to attend church- he was never baptized or had another human being pray for him. 

He simply did two things that we all must do- he confessed his sin and need of a Savior, and he embraced Jesus Christ by faith. 

Dad expressed the same to us from his hospital bed. 

The morning he died my father did something that was typical- he ordered breakfast from his favorite eatery. He wanted to share a meal with us before we left town the next morning and when it arrived he was frustrated because the order was not quite right…

But, he then did something that was not so typical- he expressed deep remorse for not being more appreciative of those who had shown him such kindness.

It was actually a treasured and beautiful moment of his humanity. We would like to think that this was the ripening of the fruit of the Spirit, just as it was preparing to fall from the tree.

…may you rest in Jesus, papa…

My deepest condolences to my dear, dear friend Jennifer and the rest of her family in this most difficult time.
- Kristopher Weiss

God Bless and Thank YOU, Joe for your service in The United States Air Force... RIP ...  And  Semper Fi.

Praying Hands was purchased for the family of Joseph Casselli.

Joe loved to fish and Nick and I invited he and Evelyn on this group trip to Islamorada.  The guys chartered a fishing boat with guides while the women did their thing.  Joe was the life of the party but was so happy when he was fishing.  This is Joe with his guide, Mark Gillman, and Joe's big catch.

1 file added to the album Joe the fisherman!

Joe loved to fish and this picture is from a fishing trip to Islamorada with Nick Popa.  Jo is standing proudly with his guide, Mark Gillman and his big catch.

Saying goodbye to someone we love is heartbreaking. May you find comfort in all the special memories shared with Joseph. 
We will all miss.Joseph , he touched so many lives.

 He will remain in our hearts forever

With love and remembrance.

The staff of Villa Marsili 
 in Cortona.

Tree of Life was purchased for the family of Joseph Casselli.

So much to say about Joe, we met him in the 1960's as he was selling life insurance to my Dad.  When I got married here he came to make sure I was going down the right path with my life insurance a little later a few investments.  He always made us feel like we were his very special client.  As the years moved on I became aware of what a great guy he really was.  I had the most respect for him and loved his laugh and considered him my friend.  Bernie and I were lucky enough to have lunch with he and Evelyn in July, we talked of the past years and had a great afternoon, I now consider that lunch "priceless"  The world will always be sad now with out Joe.  We also must remember what a great dresser he was, he after all was center-fold of Columbus Monthly as one of the top 10 dressers of Columbus.  

Deborah & Bernie Ratcliff

Joe was truly a renaissance man.  A great chef, awesome photographer, friend to all and a man who loved his family.  A great guy to have as a golf partner and a fearsome competitor.  Joe was an impeccable dresser and always coordinated, even down to the proper belt.  Joe was a giver, a generous man with his time and talents.  Cheri and I will miss this good friend.

Cheri and John Grant

We are all heartbroken over the loss of "Uncle Joe."  One of the greatest guys anyone could ever know.  He lived life to the fullest, every day.  He is missed.  

We are so sorry for your loss.
The Armstrongs
Marc, Jackie (Popa), Avery and Penny

In 1972, Shirley, our three Sons and I moved into Upper Arlington about a block from Joe, Evelyn and their families home.  Joe and Evelyn were one of the first couples we met and that was the beginning of a lasting friendship and we grew to love the entire Casselli Family.  Evelyn and Shirley endured many Friday or Saturday nights where after dinner Joe and I would move to his pool deck and play gin, sometimes until 7 in the morning.  Joe was a wonderful friend and I will miss him dearly.  Evelyn and Joe had 55 wonderful years together and three fabulous children.  He will be miss but never forgotten.  Rest in peace my friend and I will bring the gin cards for our next meeting.

We love you, Norm and Shirley

Nick and I have heavy hearts and still in disbelief!  Although Joe was a lifelong friend of Nick's, when Nick and I married, he and Evelyn became close friends of mine.  Joe lived life to the fullest every day of his life.  We loved his passion for everything he did; cooking, entertaining, charity, travel, gin rummy.  He poured himself into everything like nobody else!  We will miss his laughter, his friendship, his generosity, his contagious spirit and the list goes on.  We are honored to be his friends and will be there on Wednesday and Thursday to share stories and celebrate his amazing life.  We will forever miss him!  RIP Joe...we love you!  Sally and Nick Popa

I    am   so  sorry    for   you're  loss,   met  Joe    on   a   golf course   in   Scottsdale,  Az
I   think   3  years   ago.....great   guy    a    real  mensch...........he   will   be   greatly missed.    the   golf   group   we   played   in    will   never  be   the   same   without   him.
I   was   having   a  problem   making  dinner  reservations at   one   of  best  spots  in   Phoenix   Joe   knew  everyone.........there  was   no   way    I   was  going   to   be  able to get  in   that   night.  I   mentioned   I  was   a  friend  of   Joe's,    they   put   me on  hold  for  a  minute ,   returned   to   the   phone ,   What  time   and  how   many   sir,
I   had  family   in  visiting,   Joe   saved   me...   when  I   told   the   story   to   Joe,   he  said   glad  I  could   help,   but  next   time  I'm   going  to   have   to   charge   you...what   a   guy..  God Bless   the  Casselli   family.

Howard Moss

We shared so many special occasions with Joe & Ev that it is too difficult to single out one or two special memories. Suffice to say, when you were with Joe you always laughed,    and ate and drank well. We will miss him very much, and cherish the memories we made together. He had a warm and caring heart, and was truly special friend. We're going to miss him a great deal.
Ray & Bobbi

OBITUARIO

Joseph Casselli

14 octubre, 1939 – 6 noviembre, 2016

Schoedinger Midtown

Muestre su apoyo

Comparta Un Recuerdo

Comparta
Un Obituario

Obtenga actualizaciones

Servicios