Obituary of Anthony J. Casella

Anthony Joseph Casella was born to his loving parents Mary and Joseph Casella on October 8, 1937, in Jamaica, Queens, New York. He passed away on May 5, 2025 in Glen Cove, New York. 

Tony Casella was a giant of a man, a leader among men. He led with humor, with compassion, with confidence, with skill, and especially by example. He was highly charismatic, very generous, and well loved. 

He was fairly humble as well. Not many people know that he skipped a grade in grade school—twice. In a story told by his mother, she describes how she was called to the principal’s office once, and the principal told her, “Your son is smarter than we thought. I called him into my office and told him that we wanted to skip him a third time. But Tony said, ‘No—I already lost two years of school; I’m not missing another.’”

Tony graduated from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, where he was president of his fraternity; served in the Army for two years at Ft Bragg; and then worked at Grumman and the Aircraft Manufacturer’s Association as an aeronautical engineer. In November 1961 he married Margaret Butkovsky, who he loved deeply, referring to her as “my bride” for the next 64 years. Tony and Margaret had three sons, of whom they are very proud, as they are of their four grandchildren.

Tony went to law school at St John's at night while Margaret was pregnant with their first child and ultimately became a patent attorney, opening a firm with a partner. He served as vice president for the New York State Patent Law Association for a couple of years. In addition to working as an intellectual property rights attorney, Tony was an inventor with over ten US Patents to his name.

Tony served his church, his village, his professional association, his family, and his community. He was a trustee of the Village of East Williston for 15 years—from 1977 to 1986 and 1990 to 1991, and then, after a term as mayor from 1991 to 1995, a trustee again from 2016 to 2019. Among his many public service accomplishments, Tony was most proud of securing a new fire truck for the East Williston Fire Department. 

Tony Casella was a servant of the people. He said hello to everyone, made everyone feel good about themselves just from the attention he paid to them. He bought out the best in people. He gloried in being a "minor village official," as he put it, and being called “Mr Mayor.” He loved walking in the Memorial Day Parade.

At St Aidan's Tony served for decades as an usher, a reader, and at least once as treasurer (or on the finance committee). He would tell a story in later years about having to take the proceeds from the St Aidan's Carnival each night to deposit in the bank. Here he was carrying thousands of dollars, late at night, flanked by four parishioners, all policemen, to take it to the night depository. Then once they deposited the money, those four parishioners decided that they all should go for a drink at Mahoney's. So they had drinks, and then the group decided that since Tony was on the finance committee, that he should pay. And they did this every night...for three nights!

Tony is survived by his loving sister, Terry Bernard, his nephew Robert Barnard and niece Patricia Bernard; his wife, Margaret (Butkovsky) Casella and their sons and daughters-in-law Paul and Julie (Wheelock) Casella, David and Lizabeth (Wesley) Casella, and Gregory and Maura (Kye) Casella; and four grandchildren. Tony was the beloved patriarch of the family. 

Visitation is scheduled for 4 to 8 pm on Thursday, May 8 at Weigand Bros Funeral Home in Williston Park, NY. A funeral mass will be held at the Church of St Aidan in Williston Park, NY at 10 am Friday, May 9, 2025