Henry Castillo

Henry Castillo entered eternal rest Thursday, July 4th at his residence at Traditions of North Willow in Indianapolis, Indiana.

He is survived by his sons Daniel Castillo (Dianne) and John Castillo (Shelley), beloved grandchildren Claire Castillo, Lauren (Lodi) Castillo and Isabel Hillestad, his sister Yolanda Smith and many nieces and nephews.

Henry Castillo was born in Chicago, Illinois to Jose and Maria de la luz Castillo (Pedroza). The family lived on Jackson Boulevard and Henry graduated from Crane Tech High School.

He was a proud Navy man, enlisting after high school and following in his older brother’s footsteps as a sailor. He often remarked that his Navy years were some of the most enjoyable of his life, and he delighted in sharing many stories of his adventures on the high seas (and some unique moments in exotic ports of call).

At the conclusion of his Navy tour, Henry returned to Chicago where a mutual friend introduced him to a smiling, beautiful blonde girl who captured his heart. He proposed, she accepted, and Henry Castillo wed Arlene Grobarek on August 3, 1963.

Henry was a skilled and talented artist with a passion for every art form. He was a masterful painter, a brilliant sculptor, a talented sketch artist, an expert with stained glass, or watercolors, mixed media and more. By a stroke of luck, his new bride secured a job as secretary to the Dean of the Art Institute of Chicago, a job that offered free tuition to the Art Institute for spouses, perfect for art-loving Henry!

Upon graduation from the Art Institute, Henry, Arlene and newborn son Daniel rode the train from Chicago to Springfield, Illinois where Henry began a job as a cartographer in the Division of Water Resources for the State of Illinois. Their second son, John, was born in Springfield before the young family moved to Champaign, Illinois where Henry completed his Master of Fine Arts at the University of Illinois.

This love of art was a constant in Henry’s life. In his later years, after the family had moved to Indianapolis, Henry attended Herron School of Art and Design, taking virtually every class in the school’s curriculum! He delighted in being the elder statesman in a studio of young artists. When his sons went away to college, he turned their bedrooms into painting studios! Half the books in the Castillo house had pencil drawings scribbled on their pages, where Henry would practice his sketching techniques in any open space on a page margin.

But his true love was Arlene, his wife of 60 years. They were a great team, each enriching the life of the other and enjoying many shared adventures. They delighted in traveling to new places, enjoying the opera and symphony, or just sharing a quiet cup of coffee together every morning.

Henry was devoted to “his boys.” He taught his sons many essential life skills like how to drive a manual transmission, tie a Full Windsor, the difference between Monet and Manet and how to put a military spit shine on their dress shoes. He cheered them on at their school sporting events, volunteered as a timer at their swim and cross-country meets, and would always make time to take them fishing.

He was a good man and while we are saddened by his passing, the family is comforted in knowing that he and Arlene are reunited. The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the staff at Traditions at North Willow, Dr. Timothy Pettigrew and the Brownsburg VA Clinic staff, and the members of St. Monica Catholic Church for their care, support and love.

Henry was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Arlene, and his siblings, Charles, Beatrice, Mary, and Margaret.

Visitation will take place on Friday, July 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at St. Monica Catholic Church, 6131 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN 46228 with a funeral mass immediately following the visitation.