Castagno, Charles M.

Charles M. Castagno, 72, passed away on January 2, 2024, in Santa Monica, CA, after a nearly lifelong battle with CIDP, a rare autoimmune disorder. Charlie was born in Hartford, CT, on September 12, 1951, son of the late Drs. Rowe and Marion Castagno. He was raised in West Hartford, where he graduated from Northwest Catholic High School. He earned his BFA in Theater Studies from the University of Connecticut and his MFA in Costume Design from Florida State University. Early in his career, he held teaching positions at the University of Hartford and at the University of Northern Iowa and designed professionally for television and film. For many years, he served on the fine arts faculty at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA, where he taught a variety of theater courses, developed and managed the school's costume shop, and designed the costumes for innumerable productions, both during the school year and for Saddleback's highly regarded summer-stock repertory theater, of which he was a founding member. The magnificence of his creations was widely recognized and frequently acclaimed in the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register, among other publications. Charlie lived in Orange County, CA, for 40 years before relocating to the Los Angeles area seven years ago. Charlie is survived by his partner of 20 years, Charles Erven of Los Angeles; a sister, Frances, of Wallingford, CT; and four brothers: Anthony, of Eastham, MA; Paul, of Wilmington, NC; Richard, of West Hartford; and Joseph, of Southbury, CT. He also leaves two nieces, five nephews, and one great-niece. Memorial services will be announced at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Los Angeles LGBT Center, P.O. Box 51896, Los Angeles, CA 90051-6196 and identify "In memory of Charles Castagno" in the memo section; or visit its website: Lalgbtcenter.org/donate.

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