Obituary for Gemma Angela Castello
OBITUARY – GEMMA ANGELA CASTELLO (5/8/1935 – 7/20/2022)
Written by the Castello Family, 8/1/2022
Gemma Angela Castello was born on May 8, 1935, in Auronzo, Italy. Gemma’s father was
Giuseppe Poma and mother was Paola Poma (formerly Paola Lo Sciuto). Both Giuseppe and
Paola were born and raised in adjacent towns surrounding Trapani, Sicily. Paola, a fearlessly
independent single women, traveled alone across Italy from Trapani to Venice to take her
teacher’s exam. She was a gifted primary schoolteacher (grades 1-4) and was assigned multiple
teaching assignments by the Italian Government during the Mussolini Era from 1925-1956.
Paola’s first teaching assignment was in the northern Italian city of Auronzo. She would return
home to Sicily each summer to visit her family in the town of Crocci.
As a young single man, Guiseppe lived in Detroit, Michigan with his three brothers to pursue
prosperity and the “American Dream.” All of the Poma brothers were employed by the Hudson
Motor Car Company in Detroit. Because of their employment over the years, the brothers were
granted U.S. Citizenship which provided an immigration path for their families to come to
America. Guiseppe would occasionally return to Trapani to visit his family. During one of his
summer visits to Trapani, the Poma and LoSciuto families arranged for Paola and Guiseppe to
meet. As luck would have it, the meeting outcome was favorable, and the young couple were
eventually married. The young Poma family first lived in Auronzo, Italy allowing Paola to
continue her teaching career. After Gemma was born in 1935, the Poma family returned to
Sicily to live closer to their extended family in the city of Trapani. In Sicily, they lived in the
villages of Luziano in 1936-1937, and then in 1938 moved to Crocci located on the outskirts of
Trapani. Although Gemma felt fortunate to have received more education and financial security
than many other families in Sicily, her life was far from luxurious. For several years her family
lived in a house with no running water, no indoor toilet, and no electricity. Finally, in 1946, the
Poma family settled in Trapani where Giuseppe and Paola raised their five children (two sons
and three daughters). The children are Vito Poma, Gemma Castello (deceased), Joanne Price,
Frank Poma (deceased), and Cathy Saputo.
The Poma family lived in Sicily during the WWII years and survived the German occupation with
the protection provided by the U.S. Military. Giuseppe Poma sought a better life in the U.S. and
hoped to one day bring his family to America. Despite the facts that 1) Giuseppe was a U.S.
Citizen during the early years of his marriage, 2) his older children (Vito, Gemma, Joanne) were
born while he had this U.S. citizenship and therefore were also considered U.S citizens, 3)
Oldest son (Vito Poma) served 4 years in the U.S. Air Force, 4) Three brothers living in the U.S.
could sponsor the family, the Guiseppe Poma family was denied their claim to U.S. Citizenship
Rights. Finally, in 1954, the Eisenhower Administration granted favorable status to immigrants
from Sicily. Giuseppe Poma was notified by the U.S. Consulate Office in Palermo and within one
month Giuseppe, Gemma, and Joanne were transiting on the Andrea Doria to America. The
Poma family established their home in San Diego, California because its climate was similar to
Sicily.
During that first year in America, Gemma started working as a seamstress at a clothing
manufacturer sewing men’s suits. This factory job at the time was popular with many female
Italian immigrants. The work was hard, the days were long, and Gemma developed many life-
long friendships with her co-workers.
Gemma attended night school at Hoover High School to learn English. During classroom break
time, she met a handsome Italian immigrant from Naples (Luigi “Louis” Castello). After multiple
requests, Louis finally obtained Gemma’s home phone number. Thus, the start of a 63-year love
affair between Italian rivals “Siciliana vs. Napolitano”. Louis and Gemma were married on April
28, 1956, in Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, San Diego.
Louis and Gemma Castello raised two twin sons (Richard & Robert Castello, born in 1957) and
daughter Emily Castello Morales (born in 1964, deceased from glioblastoma brain cancer in
2018).
Over the years, the Castello family has grown to include the following members:
Twin Son – Richard Castello, Married to Andrea Marootian
• Grandson: Nicholas Castello, Married to Jenna Castello
o Great Grandson – Wesley Castello, Granddaughter – Ruby Castello
• Granddaughter – Marla Ramirez, Married to Daniel Ramirez
Twin Son – Robert Castello, Married to Robin Castello
• Granddaughter - Lauren Sanfilippo, Married to Sonny Sanfilippo
o Great Granddaughters – Mila & Giada Sanfilippo
• Grandson - Christopher Castello, Married to Catherine “Casey” Castello
o Great Granddaughters – Jean & Reese Castello
• Granddaughter – Jaclyn Castello, Engaged to Joseph Kagan
Daughter - Emily Castello-Morales, was Married to Jesse Morales
• Grandson – Kyle Morales
• Granddaughter – Natalie Morales
Just like all the women in the Poma Family, Gemma Castello was an outstanding cook. She rarely
used written recipes, her Italian specialty dishes took hours to prepare, and she could transform
the simplest ingredients (e.g., plain looking beans, hillside weeds, wild rabbits, unusual looking
fish, questionable looking vegetables) into mouth-watering delights. Gemma’s daily expression
of love to her family was the food she cooked. This fact cannot be overstated. In fact, several
years ago, Gemma and Louis were selected to participate in a “newly-wed-like” game show
aboard their cruise ship. Gemma was asked “what is the one thing she does that turns her
husband ON the most?” Her candid answer: “cooks him pasta e fagioli”. Louis later provided a
matching response, and the game show grand prize was won.
Over the years, Gemma became a highly efficient homemaker who somehow managed the daily
demands of three growing children and a busy husband. She supported Louis in his successful
gardening service and expanding apartment rental business (in partnership with Frank and
Theresa Vigliaturo). Gemma provided vital bookkeeping support, managed family finances, and
served as expenditure lead .
For years, Gemma was an active member in the following Italian-American organizations: Sons
of Italy, Italian Catholic Federation, and House of Italy. Gemma was a deeply religious woman
who believed in the religious teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church.
In her final days, Gemma suffered with advanced stage cervical cancer. She was in constant pain
and normal daily living was becoming increasingly difficult. Gemma’s motherly presence and
caring will be deeply missed by her family. Her family takes comfort in the love and support
provided by friends and family during her Rosary Service, St. Kieran Funeral Mass, and
Celebration of Life Luncheon. Gemma A. Castello was interred on July 29, 2022 next to Louis
Castello who predeceased Gemma on April 26, 2019. Their interment location is Holy Cross
Catholic Cemetery, 4470 Hilltop Dr., San Diego CA 92102, in the Holy Apostles Garden
Mausoleum / Section #34.
We celebrate Gemma’s life, the happy memories, and the positive impact her love has made on
our lives. We will never forget the sacrifices she made for us. Rest in peace mom / nonna.
Gemma Angela Castello
May 8, 1935 – July 20, 2022
Written by the Castello Family, 8/1/2022
Gemma Angela Castello was born on May 8, 1935, in Auronzo, Italy. Gemma’s father was
Giuseppe Poma and mother was Paola Poma (formerly Paola Lo Sciuto). Both Giuseppe and
Paola were born and raised in adjacent towns surrounding Trapani, Sicily. Paola, a fearlessly
independent single women, traveled alone across Italy from Trapani to Venice to take her
teacher’s exam. She was a gifted primary schoolteacher (grades 1-4) and was assigned multiple
teaching assignments by the Italian Government during the Mussolini Era from 1925-1956.
Paola’s first teaching assignment was in the northern Italian city of Auronzo. She would return
home to Sicily each summer to visit her family in the town of Crocci.
As a young single man, Guiseppe lived in Detroit, Michigan with his three brothers to pursue
prosperity and the “American Dream.” All of the Poma brothers were employed by the Hudson
Motor Car Company in Detroit. Because of their employment over the years, the brothers were
granted U.S. Citizenship which provided an immigration path for their families to come to
America. Guiseppe would occasionally return to Trapani to visit his family. During one of his
summer visits to Trapani, the Poma and LoSciuto families arranged for Paola and Guiseppe to
meet. As luck would have it, the meeting outcome was favorable, and the young couple were
eventually married. The young Poma family first lived in Auronzo, Italy allowing Paola to
continue her teaching career. After Gemma was born in 1935, the Poma family returned to
Sicily to live closer to their extended family in the city of Trapani. In Sicily, they lived in the
villages of Luziano in 1936-1937, and then in 1938 moved to Crocci located on the outskirts of
Trapani. Although Gemma felt fortunate to have received more education and financial security
than many other families in Sicily, her life was far from luxurious. For several years her family
lived in a house with no running water, no indoor toilet, and no electricity. Finally, in 1946, the
Poma family settled in Trapani where Giuseppe and Paola raised their five children (two sons
and three daughters). The children are Vito Poma, Gemma Castello (deceased), Joanne Price,
Frank Poma (deceased), and Cathy Saputo.
The Poma family lived in Sicily during the WWII years and survived the German occupation with
the protection provided by the U.S. Military. Giuseppe Poma sought a better life in the U.S. and
hoped to one day bring his family to America. Despite the facts that 1) Giuseppe was a U.S.
Citizen during the early years of his marriage, 2) his older children (Vito, Gemma, Joanne) were
born while he had this U.S. citizenship and therefore were also considered U.S citizens, 3)
Oldest son (Vito Poma) served 4 years in the U.S. Air Force, 4) Three brothers living in the U.S.
could sponsor the family, the Guiseppe Poma family was denied their claim to U.S. Citizenship
Rights. Finally, in 1954, the Eisenhower Administration granted favorable status to immigrants
from Sicily. Giuseppe Poma was notified by the U.S. Consulate Office in Palermo and within one
month Giuseppe, Gemma, and Joanne were transiting on the Andrea Doria to America. The
Poma family established their home in San Diego, California because its climate was similar to
Sicily.
During that first year in America, Gemma started working as a seamstress at a clothing
manufacturer sewing men’s suits. This factory job at the time was popular with many female
Italian immigrants. The work was hard, the days were long, and Gemma developed many life-
long friendships with her co-workers.
Gemma attended night school at Hoover High School to learn English. During classroom break
time, she met a handsome Italian immigrant from Naples (Luigi “Louis” Castello). After multiple
requests, Louis finally obtained Gemma’s home phone number. Thus, the start of a 63-year love
affair between Italian rivals “Siciliana vs. Napolitano”. Louis and Gemma were married on April
28, 1956, in Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, San Diego.
Louis and Gemma Castello raised two twin sons (Richard & Robert Castello, born in 1957) and
daughter Emily Castello Morales (born in 1964, deceased from glioblastoma brain cancer in
2018).
Over the years, the Castello family has grown to include the following members:
Twin Son – Richard Castello, Married to Andrea Marootian
• Grandson: Nicholas Castello, Married to Jenna Castello
o Great Grandson – Wesley Castello, Granddaughter – Ruby Castello
• Granddaughter – Marla Ramirez, Married to Daniel Ramirez
Twin Son – Robert Castello, Married to Robin Castello
• Granddaughter - Lauren Sanfilippo, Married to Sonny Sanfilippo
o Great Granddaughters – Mila & Giada Sanfilippo
• Grandson - Christopher Castello, Married to Catherine “Casey” Castello
o Great Granddaughters – Jean & Reese Castello
• Granddaughter – Jaclyn Castello, Engaged to Joseph Kagan
Daughter - Emily Castello-Morales, was Married to Jesse Morales
• Grandson – Kyle Morales
• Granddaughter – Natalie Morales
Just like all the women in the Poma Family, Gemma Castello was an outstanding cook. She rarely
used written recipes, her Italian specialty dishes took hours to prepare, and she could transform
the simplest ingredients (e.g., plain looking beans, hillside weeds, wild rabbits, unusual looking
fish, questionable looking vegetables) into mouth-watering delights. Gemma’s daily expression
of love to her family was the food she cooked. This fact cannot be overstated. In fact, several
years ago, Gemma and Louis were selected to participate in a “newly-wed-like” game show
aboard their cruise ship. Gemma was asked “what is the one thing she does that turns her
husband ON the most?” Her candid answer: “cooks him pasta e fagioli”. Louis later provided a
matching response, and the game show grand prize was won.
Over the years, Gemma became a highly efficient homemaker who somehow managed the daily
demands of three growing children and a busy husband. She supported Louis in his successful
gardening service and expanding apartment rental business (in partnership with Frank and
Theresa Vigliaturo). Gemma provided vital bookkeeping support, managed family finances, and
served as expenditure lead .
For years, Gemma was an active member in the following Italian-American organizations: Sons
of Italy, Italian Catholic Federation, and House of Italy. Gemma was a deeply religious woman
who believed in the religious teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church.
In her final days, Gemma suffered with advanced stage cervical cancer. She was in constant pain
and normal daily living was becoming increasingly difficult. Gemma’s motherly presence and
caring will be deeply missed by her family. Her family takes comfort in the love and support
provided by friends and family during her Rosary Service, St. Kieran Funeral Mass, and
Celebration of Life Luncheon. Gemma A. Castello was interred on July 29, 2022 next to Louis
Castello who predeceased Gemma on April 26, 2019. Their interment location is Holy Cross
Catholic Cemetery, 4470 Hilltop Dr., San Diego CA 92102, in the Holy Apostles Garden
Mausoleum / Section #34.
We celebrate Gemma’s life, the happy memories, and the positive impact her love has made on
our lives. We will never forget the sacrifices she made for us. Rest in peace mom / nonna.
Gemma Angela Castello
May 8, 1935 – July 20, 2022