Obituary of JoAnn Auer Castille

JoAnn Auer Castille passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Sunday the 7th of June 2015. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri on the 23rd of January in 1933. Her parents were the late Ralph and Matilda Auer, both of St. Louis. She graduated high school from St. Agnes Academy at the age of seventeen in 1950 and attended college at the University of St. Thomas. Shortly thereafter she met her soul mate, Merlin Anthony Castille, in the Catholic Youth Organization of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Houston, Texas. They were married on the 4th of October, 1952. A year after their marriage, JoAnn and Merlin had their first child, Jude. Sadly, he passed away not long after from complications during birth. In 1954, JoAnn and Merlin celebrated the birth of their second son, Merlin Gerard (“Gerry”). In 1955 JoAnn moved to Louisiana with Merlin, who was stationed in DeRidder, Louisiana as part of his military service. After a year, the family returned to Houston, Texas where JoAnn would live for the rest of her life. In 1956 JoAnn gave birth to her first daughter, Deborah Ann and in 1958 she welcomed another son, Ralph Joseph. Throughout her life, JoAnn was involved in a number of different careers. She worked at the Bokay Shop, preparing fresh flowers while in high school and later worked as a telephone operator for Bell telephone. Once she had children, JoAnn was a homemaker and stay-at-home mother to her children. She was also a substitute teacher at Holy Ghost Catholic School where she taught everything from English to Mathematics. Once her children had grown, JoAnn worked at Neiman Marcus in the costume jewelry department. JoAnn was a devout Catholic and dedicated servant to her community and her church. She was a member of the Altar Rosary Society at Holy Ghost Catholic Church and helped run the food pantry at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Sugarland, Texas. JoAnn was a progressive woman who helped organize a group of women, affectionately known as “The Libbers,” that met regularly to discuss current events, eat gourmet food, and drink wine. JoAnn was a talented artist and craftsperson. She was a skilled seamstress and needle worker. JoAnn loved nature and gardening and enjoyed tending a greenhouse built by Merlin. And above all, she had a wonderful sense of humor. Most of all, JoAnn, affectionately known as “Mooma,” was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Nothing gave her as much joy as caring for her family and her cherished miniature dachshunds Gretel, Leibschein, Gunkë, Hettle, and Zoë. JoAnn is preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Matilda Auer, her brother Kenneth and her son Jude. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Merlin Anthony Castille, and their three children: Gerry Castille and his wife Cindy, Deborah Horwitz and her husband Jim, and Ralph Castille and his wife Judy. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren: Brian Castille, his wife Sara and their daughter Lindsay; Kim Bautsch, her husband Mark, their son Brady and expected son Nolan; Geoff Horwitz, his wife Adele and their son Jamie; Noah Horwitz; Kirby Castille and his wife Alyssa; Logan Auer Castille; Shannon Bormann and her husband Sam; and Rachel Castille. The family would like to give a special thanks to JoAnn’s caretakers, Roxanne Navarette and Martha Smith. A rosary service is to be conducted at six o’clock in the evening, on Tuesday the 9th of June, at Clayton Funeral Home in Pearland. A memorial service is to be conducted at ten in the morning on Wednesday the 10th of June at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Houston, Texas. In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that contributions in JoAnn’s memory be directed to St. Agnes Academy, the Alzheimer’s Association, or the charity of one’s choice.