Castjohn obituaries, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Name, date of obit, date submitted, submitted for the USGenWeb archives by: Castjohn, Frank 29 Sep 1950 Jan 2005 Jerry Nelson Castjohn, Frank 13 Sep 2008 Sep 2008 Jerry Nelson Castjohn, Tony 4 Feb 2003 Feb 2003 Don Johnson *************************************************************************** Obituary published in The Hammond Vindicator: 9/29/1950 CASTJOHN, FRANK Last rites for Frank Castjohn, 78, who died Saturday at the Florida Parishes Hospital [Independence], were held Monday from the Poole Funeral Home. Interment was in Rose Memorial Park. He was a resident of Hammond for many years. He leaves his wife; four sons, Martin, Tony, Joe and Frank, Jr.; two daughters; 11 grandchildren. *************************************************************************** Obituary published in The Advocate (Baton Rouge): 9/13/2008 CASTJOHN, FRANK Founder of the Strawberry Cup Soccer Tournament and a resident of Pumpkin Center, Frank passed away Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He was 68. Frank was a true renaissance man. He retired from the Bridge Maintenance Division of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Although his work required daily travel throughout the state, Frank still found time to coach youth soccer (12 years), baseball, swimming and football. As president of the Soccer Association, he leased 27 acres in Hammond and, with other volunteers, developed a 10-field complex for 750 children. In 1987, he founded the Strawberry Cup Soccer Tournament, which hosts 100 teams annually; and he served as director of the program for three years. Frank was instrumental in the creation of the soccer programs in Hammond and Ponchatoula high schools, serving as head coach at both. He received many commendations and awards for his innovative solutions to bridge repair problems, having developed several methods that speed up bridge construction and repair. One of Frank's most noteworthy achievements, in 1986, was the design, fabrication and installation of trolleys for bridge inspectors to ride on the support cables of the Interstate 310 Mississippi River Bridge at Luling. His design saved hundreds of thousands of dollars while allowing hands-on inspections. Among his numerous resulting commendations were: Special Merit Award from the secretary of the Louisiana DOTD; an article in Engineering News Record, a worldwide engineering publication; nomination as Man of the Year by ENR; and a cash incentive award from the Louisiana Civil Service League. Frank was also cited by the chief engineer for his work in the emergency repair of the New Roads Ferry Landing. Frank was active in the Steel Structure Painting Council and the Heavy Movable Bridge Committee, both being international organizations dedicated to improvements of existing technology. Frank's exceptional self-education since high school was demonstrated when he passed an extremely difficult, highly technical Engineer in Training exam in 1979 while pursuing an engineering license. He was also a certified bridge inspector. After his retirement in 1998, he was engaged in the inspection of hundreds of bridges for structural engineering firms. In his spare time, Frank liked to hunt, fish, scuba dive, camp, treasure hunt and build and operate Ham radios. He learned his electronics skills during his tour of duty in the U.S. Air Force. He had also successfully designed, built and raced cars. Frank Castjohn was born in Chicago on Nov. 27, 1939. He was the oldest of three children (including his brother, Martin Jr., and sister, Lynnae) born to Martin and Betty Jasek Castjohn, both of whom preceded him in death. Frank's dad, a mechanic by trade, left Louisiana for the Chicago area looking for the silver lining. He met Betty while in Chicago and they wed. They moved back to Louisiana in 1941. Frank's paternal grandparents were from Italy and maternal grandparents were from Poland. Frank graduated from Hammond High School in 1958. Frank started his highway department career in May 1964, working in District 62 construction gangs until 1976. Mr. Gorman Pounders came to Hammond and asked Frank if he wanted to transfer to statewide maintenance and work for Al Dunn. "Took me a week to think about it, been here ever since." Frank was registered with the Louisiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and had his EIT certificate based on his experience and passing the EIT examination. He was also a former member of the U.S. Soccer Coaches Association, the U.S. Soccer Referees Association, the Louisiana Soccer Coaches Association and the U.S. Masters Swimming Association (Senior Olympics). In 1989, he set the Southeast Region record and finished sixth in the nation in the 100-meter freestyle for the 50- to 54-year-old age group. In 1995, Frank was awarded the highest award any civil service employee in Louisiana can receive, the Charles E. Dunbar Award, for designing an inspection trolley for the Luling Bridge cable system. Frank traveled to exotic places, including many you never heard of and some you would like to forget. I'll list just a few: Monkey Island, East Main, East Park, Dularge, Matthews, Deer Park, Shaw, Thomas, Cloutieville, Proverncal, Flatwoods, Lena, Cane River, Gorum, Derry, Bermuda, Red Dirt, Sun, Cotton Valley, Vivian, Pine, Ball, Sheridan, Valentine, Bonfouca, North Draw, Bayou Liberty, East Pearl, Grand Lake, Black Bayou, Gibbstown, Forked Island, Wax Lake, Gibson, Pinhook, Klondike, Montegut, Reggio, Yscloksey, Shell Beach, Chef Menteur, "The" Rigolets, Clifton, Woodworth, Angola, Baritaria and lots of other places I can't recall - "in Louisiana." Frank figured that it would take about 10 years for a working man in the maintenance division to "work" his way up to a "living" wage, so he had to hire young kids and train them. Typical was one application from a young man whose experience was "racking balls" in a pool hall - he worked/learned and stuck with the department. Now he is a boat captain. Another applicant (for a promotion) wrote under "types of equipment operated:" "If it rolls, crawls, slides or floats - we can operate it." One last quote from a former supervisor "can't even find Frank" - guess that's true - now. He is survived by his wife, Mildred Castjohn; son, Bryan Castjohn, of Loranger; son, Martin Castjohn, of Madisonville; two daughters, Barbie Puro, of Savage, Minn., and Tana Castjohn-Poe, of West Monroe; and son, Frank Davis, of Lumberton, Texas. He also leaves behind grandchildren, Ashton and Ava Castjohn, of Loranger, Jacob and Julie Castjohn, of Madisonville, Timmy and Ryan Tierney and Alexis and Eron Puro, of Savage, Robin Sweet and Frannie Poe, of West Monroe, and Curt and Cody Davis of Lumberton, Texas; and a great-grandchild, Mckenzie Mims. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral service from the chapel of Brandon G.Thompson Funeral Home, 12012 La. 190 West, west of Hammond, on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 11 a.m. The family requested that visiting hours be observed Friday, Sept. 12, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Visiting resumes Saturday, Sept. 13, beginning at 9 a.m. until the funeral service. Interment will follow in Carter Cemetery in Springfield. Condolences and other information are available online at www.bgthompsonfuneralhome.com. *************************************************************************** Obituary published in The Advocate (Baton Rouge) on: 2/4/2003 CASTJOHN, TONY Retired after 25 years of service with the Southeastern Louisiana University maintenance department, he died Monday, Feb. 3, 2003, at North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital, Hammond. He was 88, a resident of Ponchatoula and a native of Hammond. Visitation at Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Home, Hammond, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Ponchatoula, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, celebrated by the Rev. Harvey Blaschko, O.P. Interment in Rose Memorial Cemetery. Survived by his wife of 62 years, Christine Restivo Castjohn, Ponchatoula; three daughters, Lena Giaratano and Vickie Roberts, both of Tickfaw, and Jo Ann Fayard, Ponchatoula; a son, Frank A. Castjohn, Ponchatoula; a brother, Joe Castjohn, Hammond; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Lena Ardovena Castjohn; two sisters, Rose Nuccio and Julia Bianco; and two brothers, Frank and Martin Castjohn. *************************************************************************** File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/tangipahoa/obits/obitssur/castjohn.txt