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Donald C. Castor
Obituaries | The Tube City Almanac | March 11, 2026
Donald Charles “Donnie” Castor, 79, of Glassport, Pennsylvania, lived a life that lifted everyone around him. He was the kind of man whose presence warmed a room — a fireman, a soldier, a coach, a storyteller, and a grandfather whose laugh could pull kids from every corner.
Born to Donald W. and Marie Castor, Donnie grew up in the mill towns along the Monongahela River and carried their values of hard work, loyalty, and showing up. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era, stationed in Germany working on computerized missile systems, and came home the same way he left — quietly and ready to get to work.
Donnie was a fireman and lifetime member of Station 161 in Glassport, beginning at just 14 years old. He helped start the station’s first junior firemen’s program, setting the tone for a lifetime of getting young people involved and supported.
He spent decades coaching and building programs across the Mon Valley — GAA soccer, baseball, and softball; South Allegheny High School soccer and softball; Century V cup soccer; and the long‑running ROTSAC pitching camps, where he taught generations of young girls how to throw with confidence. He was instrumental in starting the South Allegheny Youth Soccer Organization and helped build the SA high school soccer program. He also launched the indoor soccer program at La Rosa Boys and Girls Club and coached Special Olympics athletes with the same heart he gave everyone else.
As an umpire and referee with the Twin Rivers Officials Association, he was famous for one thing: he could get out from behind home plate and beat the runner to first base to make the call. The saying was simple and true — “There’s nobody faster than Donnie Castor.”
He played, coached, and managed teams in the Glassport Men’s Slo‑Pitch League and the Steel Valley Men’s Slo‑Pitch League, proving year after year that he loved the game as much as the people who played it.
Donnie loved hunting, fishing, and gardening, and he loved his family and community with the same steady devotion. He worked with children long before he had his own and long after they were grown — kids simply found him. His quick wit and easy humor made him the unofficial entertainer at every field, picnic, and parking lot. During fair week, people still remember his voice at the dice table calling out, “Eight, skate, and donate.”
At the center of his life was his wife, Barbara, with whom he shared decades of partnership and love. He is survived by Barbara; his children Andrew Takach (Billie Jo), Tracey Castor (Brian Slavick), and Laine Cryder (Wesley); and by the grandchildren he adored:
• John, Gwyneth, and Alyx Takach
• Briana Hart (Chris)
• Cory and Kayla Williams
• Nathan, Isabel, Lillian, and Kathryn Shvarts
• Keaton and Benton Cryder
He is also survived by his sisters Esther Stevenson (Doug) and Ardele Lockwood (Don), and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Roberta Davis, Barry Castor, and David Castor.
Donnie leaves behind fields full of young athletes, programs he built from nothing, a fire station shaped by his early leadership, and generations of people who knew what it felt like to have someone believe in them. His legacy is simple: he made life better, brighter, and funnier everywhere he went.
Beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Soldier, Fireman, Coach, and Friend.
Services for Donald "Donnie" Castor: 2:00-4:00 PM and 6:00-8:00PM at the Wojciechowski Funeral Home, Glassport, PA.
Saturday- Funeral service at the Wojciechowski Funeral Home 10:00AM. Procession to follow to Mars Hill Baptist Church Irwin, PA. (Arrival approximately 11:30AM, beside the church). Wake to follow after procession for Donnie at Club 22, Glassport, PA.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations in Donnie’s name to the Citizens Hose Co. #1 of Glassport, Station 161.
Originally published March 11, 2026.
Other deaths:
"Glen R. Fleegle" || "Arlene Ann Cuadrado"