Anthony J. Cassano

Anthony James Cassano passed away on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at Danbury Hospital; he was 92 years old. Anthony, also known as Tony or Cass, was, first and foremost, a devoted husband and father and faithful Catholic. His many close friends were truly part of his extended family and they were all blessed with his intelligence, infectious sense of humor, and enormous capacity to love.

Born on Oct 15, 1931, in New York City, Anthony grew up on the lower east side of Manhattan. An only child, Cass was well-loved by his parents, Vito and Josephine (Realmulto) as well as his uncles and aunts who lived nearby. Growing up, the two main passions for Cass were the New York Yankees (especially Joe DiMaggio) and the music of Harry James. He spoke fondly of his days with friends on the streets of the Lower East Side, which included playing stickball of course.

After graduating from Saint Xavier High School, Cass received a scholarship to study electrical engineering at Manhattan College. At this time, he also met his beloved Millie and they married in 1953. After a brief stay with his in-laws in Brooklyn, he and Millie moved to Syosset, NY. Cass began his career with Ford Instrument Company and he and Millie started a family by welcoming their two daughters. Somehow while setting up a household and beginning his engineering career, Cass also found the time and energy to earn a master's degree in physics from Adelphi University.

In 1961, with two daughters in tow, he and Millie moved to their new home in Danbury, CT where their son was born and they raised their family. After being laid off in the early 70s, Cass had a few different career paths including co-owning a furniture store and working as an acoustic engineer. During this time and many years after, he did private consulting as a licensed engineer on various architectural and construction projects. In the 1980s, Cass joined Perkin Elmer at Wooster Heights (later purchased by Raytheon and then BF Goodrich), where he spent the remainder of his career working as a manager for the maintenance and refurbishment of the Hubble Space Telescope Lens. During this time, he was a well-respected mentor to many young engineers.

In 1981, Cass began his service to the city of Danbury after being elected to the Common Council. This continued for over a decade and upon being urged by party leaders, he even ran (unsuccessfully) for Mayor in 1993. Cass was also an active member of St. Joseph’s Parish in Danbury where he and Millie were catechists and involved in Marriage Encounter.

Nothing made Cass happier than spending time with his family and friends. He is predeceased by his wife Carmela, (“Millie” who he lost in 2011), and is survived by his companion Natalie, his daughters Donna Kakadeles (husband Jimmy Kakadeles) and Paula Hart, and son Mark. His grandchildren (Sean, Kelly, Jenna, Kaitlyn, and Theresa) gave him enormous joy, as did the gift of meeting his great-grandchildren (Aaliyah Carmela and Michael Anthony). For well over five decades, he had weekly get-togethers with his neighbors who he thought of as family as well. He is missed by all who knew him. YOLO!

Visitation for Anthony will be held Wednesday, June 12, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Green Funeral Home, 57 Main St, Danbury, Connecticut. A funeral mass will be held Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 10:00 AM at St. Joseph Church, 8 Robinson Ave., Danbury, CT.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the charity of your choice.