John Bertrand Casteix III

John was someone everyone liked. He was warm, funny, and could make a friend anywhere. More importantly, he kept those friends for life. He remembered you. He loved a tell a good story, USC football, and spending time with the people he cared about.

John was born on June 1, 1938, in Santa Ana, California, to John Bertrand Casteix II and Mabel Louise Lewarton Casteix. His father, the former coroner of Orange County, died suddenly in 1943, leaving John’s mother to raise him on her own. She began work for the County of Orange and worked to ensure that her son received the Catholic education his father had wanted for him.

John attended St. Joseph School in Santa Ana and later Mater Dei High School.

He became the first Mater Dei graduate to attend the University of Southern California, where he pledged Sigma Chi. John loved USC with his whole heart. He attended Trojan football games faithfully until age made it impossible, although his enthusiasm for the team never diminished.

After graduating from USC, John served in the United States Coast Guard in Seattle. There, he met his first wife, Judy. They married and returned to Santa Ana, where John built his career and raised his family.

He was a longtime member of Santa Ana Elks Lodge No. 794 and served his hometown as a member of the Santa Ana Planning Commission.

Following Judy’s death and his retirement, John moved to Palm Springs. Then life gave him an unexpected second act.

John became reacquainted with Eleanor, whom he had known as a teenager and young man while visiting his father’s family in Louisiana. Eleanor had fallen in love with him when she was 16. Four decades later, that became a long and loving marriage.

After losing their home in Hurricane Katrina, John and Eleanor relocated permanently to Louisiana.

John is survived by his loving wife, Eleanor; his daughters, Jennifer Casteix and her husband, George Jenson, and Joelle Casteix and her husband, Michael Winter; and his grandson, Nicholas Casteix Winter.

He is also survived by his stepchildren, Mandy Nesom and her husband, Nance; Jeff Gremillion and his wife, Phyllis; and Robert Gremillion and his wife, Brandi; his nieces, Judy Fehringer and Jane Shade; his nephews, Rick Shade and Michael Shade; and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Judy; and his sister, Mabel Louise Casteix Shade.

There will be no services. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in John’s memory to Zero Abuse Project.

Fight On.