Willow Glen Resident

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Castoro never stopped sharing his passions

Paul Louis Castoro, a native of San Jose, died on April 16 after a long battle with cancer. He was 84.

Castoro lived in Willow Glen for 50 years. He graduated from San Jose High School in 1941 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps one week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He spent World War II in Africa and Italy as a gunner and a cryptographer. After the war, he continued in the Army Reserves and eventually retired as a lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army Medical Service.

He received a bachelor's degree in biology at San José State University. He went on to earn a master's degree in zoology from Kansas State University and his secondary school teaching credential from Stanford University.

Castoro taught science for more than 29 years at Menlo Atherton High School. After he retired, Castoro served as the director of the Santa Clara Science Fair for three years. He was also appointed director of the San José State University alumni board, where he served for more than eight years. He was a volunteer at the Tech Museum, amassing more than 3,000 volunteer hours.

He also loved track and field and served for more than 57 years as a USAA track official. Castoro was active with his World War II bomber outfit and as a charter member of the Theta Chi Fraternity. He loved attending his grandson's baseball and football games.

He was a longtime parishioner at St. Christopher's Church in Willow Glen.

Castoro is survived by his wife of 54 years, Bonnie; son Paul Castoro Jr.; daughter Patricia McCabe; son ­in-law Thomas R. McCabe Jr. and two grandsons, Kyle and Troy McCabe.

The family suggests donations to the Lymphoma Society.