Obituary of Marjorie Castoria

Marjorie Veillon Castoria, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on October 11, 2024, at the age of 96, in Roslyn Heights, New York, after a battle with Alzheimer’s dementia. The daughter of Eugee and Dora Veillon, of Cajun French heritage, was born on April 27, 1928, and raised with her five siblings on the family’s fifty-acre farm in Ville Platte, Louisiana. Marjorie attended Ville Platte High School and aspired to become a nurse. That would all change after she met a soldier from Brooklyn, Prisco (Pete) Gastonia Castoria, of Italian ancestry, at the Evangeline Club dance hall that would become the love of her life. He returned to Louisiana after the war to ask for her hand in marriage. Marjorie would recount that they were married in Ville Platte  on October 16, 1946, surrounded by her maid of honor, Elvina Rider (Aunt Blonde), while the taxi driver served as Pete’s best man. This celebration was followed by a train ride to New York and a second reception in Brooklyn to meet the Castoria family for the first time. Pete promised her parents that he would return to Louisiana every year and held true to his word by returning each year with their growing family for the entire summer. The two were happily married for 64 years dividing their time between New York, the Poconos, Louisiana, and West Palm Beach. A friend and matriarch to many, she was a cherished member of the community leaving behind a legacy of kindness, strength, and love in abundance.

Marjorie was a devoted wife and mother of six children and is survived by her five children, Theresa, Daniel, Priscilla, Eugene and Thomas. She was a beloved grandmother to twelve grandchildren, Brennan, Ryan, Dana, Marlena, Garrett, Phillip, Prisco, Kerry Ann, Kyle, Dylan, Karissa, Kaitlyn; two step-grandchildren Matthew and Julia; six great grandchildren; and three step-great-grandchildren. Marjorie will be remembered for her kind heart and her unwavering love and support for her family.  In addition to her family, Marjorie had a passion for sewing, knitting, crochet, and travel. She will be forever remembered for her Cajun and Italian cooking and baking, especially her gumbo, stuffed squid, and upside-down pineapple cake. Her greatest joy was babysitting her grandchildren, proudly posting a wooden sign on her front door that read, “Grandma’s Babysitting Service – Little people always welcome. Service includes: meals, lessons, entertainment, and lots of hugs”. She spent countless hours in daily prayer, faithfully prayed the rosary, and often prayed for family and friends. Marjorie was preceded in death by her husband, Prisco Castoria; parents, Eugee and Dora Veillon; her five siblings, Roderick, Lewis David (LD), Lena, Mary and Roland; and her second born daughter, Priscilla who was lost as a young child.

She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her, but her memory will live on in the hearts of her family and friends forever. The family requests that any donations be sent to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a cause that was dear to Marjorie’s heart.

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