M.J. (Chuy) Castro, 95, of El Paso died peacefully on July 15, 2020. Dad, as he was known to family and friends, was preceded in death by his wife, Lorenza P. Castro, daughter, Norma Adauto, brother, Juan Castro Jr. and sister Maria E. Yanez. He is survived by children, Marty Gilbert (husband Lloyd), Alice O’Brien (husband Gerry), and Daniel Castro(wife Cathy), all from El Paso and Jesus R. (Sonny) Castro (wife Mary) from Kansas City, MO. He is also survived by brothers Hector and Richard Castro of El Paso; Enrique Castro, Sunnyvale, CA; and sisters, Gloria Gomez, Santa Clara, CA and Rosalinda Castro, Arizona.
He is also survived by grandchildren, Zeke and Jerry Adauto; Marco Castro, Rebecca Castro, Katie Castro, Eric O’Brien, Patricia Pacheco, Dustin Castro, Zach Castro, and Austin Castro; and 15 great grandchildren.
Dad was born on Sept. 12, 1924 in El Paso. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II from which he received commendations for his service in the Pacific theater of operations. Days prior to his induction into the U.S. Navy he married his sweetheart, Lorenza Portillo. After his honorable discharge from the Navy he obtained certification as an electronics repair specialist and opened Castro’s Radio and TV repair shop on San Antonio Street in Central El Paso. He operated his business for close to thirty years before his retirement.
In retirement, Dad devoted himself to family and to his love of big band music. Although retired, his strong work ethic drove him to work part-time at his son’s dental office. During his time at the dental office he never missed a day of work until the pandemic forced full retirement. He will be remembered for his charismatic and loving personality, his penchant for story telling, and his willingness to lend a hand to those in need.
Burial will take place on July 31, 2020 at Ft. Bliss with military honors, at 10 a.m.. Because of the pandemic, attendance at the service will be restricted to 10 family members, but the service will be live-streamed on the Martin Funeral Home Facebook site.
