I have nothing to add to the public obituary, but I remember in Ocean City going with Granddad to pick up sea food to bring it back for everyone including Charlie and Carmela. He would always tell the people at the restaurant it was for the Beaver family. He always thought that was funny.

I remember Jesse hurting Granddad's finger with a pool ball and Granddad chasing Jesse around the pool table in his basement. I always thought that was funny. I realize it doesn't sound like a nice memory, but it was a typical Joe over reaction. So I always smile when I think about it.

They are great memories. Maybe in somebody else's family Granddad chasing their grandkid around a pool table would be a bad memory, but it made me laugh out loud. That was typical Granddad, and I think it's priceless. Thanks for sharing and starting this off, because I think it's a great idea to share some of our favorite memories.

Some of my favorite memories from growing up are spending weekends at Gram and Granddad's and having our movie marathon, which always consisted of the old ones like Meet Me in St Louis and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Granddad loved that we loved these movies and would watch them with us as many times as we wanted, which sometimes meant twice in a row.

I also remember one year around Christmas when he let Beth and me decorate him like a Christmas tree. He had ornaments hanging from his ears and his clothes, we probably have pictures somewhere. It was priceless and so not typical Granddad!

I also remember a more typical Granddad experience on a mini golf course in OCNJ that either involved Jesse or Beth. Not sure if one them hit Granddad with a club or he just did not like their mini golf behavior? I'm hazy on that one so maybe you can elaborate.

Some of my most fond memories of Granddad though will be the ones of him and Tessa. His eyes lit up whenever he saw her in a way I can't explain, even towards the end. They loved each other, and he let her do anything she wanted. Even when she ran around screaming, he just smiled and laughed. He never yelled not once. He just loved to watch her and he thought it was amazing to get to spend time with his great granddaughter. I know he missed Savannah at times but he often said he wouldn't miss this for anything! It means everything to me that she got to meet and know her Big G!

Way to make me cry in the middle of the day guys! That was me who hit him with a golf club playing mini golf. And I ht him in a very bad place!

Some of my favorite "Elderly" memories....
When he let me and Jenn decorate him like a Christmas Tree! He totally let us put tinsel around him and ornaments on his glasses. So unGranddad!

Watching old movies ALL the time. Like Singing in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Meet Me in St Louis.

One time I put bubble wrap under their rugs and he pretended not to know and got scared every time he stepped on it.

Happy Hour of course :)

Going to Longwood Gardens every year during Christmas. Elderly loved the flowers and must have taken thousands of pictures -- especially of the roses. We all know how much he loved his rose garden.

And of course a typical Granddad moment, when I went to Florida to visit and we played golf and he yelled at me the whole time because I wasn't holding my head still and whatever else I was doing wrong. I never played with him again.

I'm glad he got to see his great-grandchild. He loved her so much. He let Tessa do anything she wanted. He never yelled at her for running around or screaming like he used to with us. It was so obvious how happy he was to have experienced time with her.

He will be missed ALOT but we all have so many good memories!

Getting chased around the pool table is one of my fondest memories of Granddad. Jay and I have laughed about that story many times.

I remember granddad teaching me how to rack and break at the pool table.

Learning to play golf with granddad was great. I will always remember as a kid when i hit my first illegitimate birdie on a par three hole with him coaching. It was cool because we were breaking the rules a little by teeing off multiple times since nobody was behind us. Granddad really thought I could hit one onto the green, but my first two shots were quickly gone in the bushes. On the third shot, after some more swing adjustments, I slapped a liner that hit the patch of fairway in front of the green and bounced and tricked about 8 feet from the hole. I just remember him showing me the line for that putt, and him making me do some practice strokes. I knew i could make the putt because I had creamed you guys at mini golf so many times before, but i was nervous I was gonna miss it. I barely made the putt, the ball hit the outside right of the cup and spiraled in. We were both really excited. I didnt hit another birdie for years after that.

I remember riding around in the golf cart and Granddad saying what's up to all his golf buddies, and saying to them this is my grandson. Then I'd have to endure weird small talk with old dudes. I remember he would tell jokes that were usually somewhat dirty, and be the first one laughing right after he said it. He would smoke the shit out of some cigars the whole time.

I remember him wearing all the leg braces, and back braces, and wrist supporters and shit that he would wear golfing while sitting on his recliner watching golf on tv, eating sandwiches that Grandma made. I gotta start playing golf again.

I'm glad granddad and Tessa got to share some time together. I love you guys.

I remember all the braces. Remember how he always smelled like Icy Hot? And he used to wear a eye mask and put an ice big on his head when he had a migraine?

Gram, Lilli, Tess and I went to brunch today and we were talking about the pool table incident. They both laughed so hard they cried. They said that Granddad was saying "I'll never play golf again!" I can see him now. So am I the only one he never took on the golf course? Not sure if that's a good or bad thing? By the way, Jesse creamed us at mini golf? Huh. I'm not so sure about that?

No, I never made it out on the golf coarse with him either. I have never had the pleasure of standing or walking in his line during a putt. I bet that was a blast?

How could have I forgotten about all the braces and odor of icy hot? Remember how he would sit at the beach looking at the girls and always say he was born at the wrong time!

I will add a memory that Jenn and Beth might not remember. Every time you stayed at their house when you were little, he would blow up balloons and then let them go so that you could catch them. Your Dad and I were always amazed that he would do something like that, because he would do this for HOURS! I guess that stopped once you all started to play "Happy Hour".

One of my memories was when they would stay here to watch Muffin, he would always throw the stick for her. He never tired of doing that. We still had the stick when Muffine died and he made a cross out of it for her grave. We always laughed that we never knew Muffin was Catholic! For someone who didn't seem to like animals, he really seemed to love all of our dogs.

I still remember the first time I met him, he and Mom were going to a costume party. She dressed as a flapper and he as a barbershop quartet singer. I thought that he was a very handsome man. I can still see him standing on the porch of the house on Glenhaven.

There are many more memories, some typical Dad/Grandad and some not so typical of him, but that was Joe Castoro. He really loved all of you and would tear up when he talked of you. He might have seemed like a tough guy on the outside but on the inside he was a pussy cat. Thanks for starting this. Love hearing these stories. I will most definitely miss my father-in-law. I always felt loved by him.

I definitely remember the balloons. We did do that for hours! He was a great granddad. He did have his moments of course, but hey we all do.

I don't remember the balloons...but Im sure I loved it. Elderly was a stud when he was younger. I know why Grandmom married him!

That is cool. I have a copy of To Be With You 1968 Joe Castoro that I found in his guitar case when I was about 18-20. Amanda and I played it the other night. It's fairly complex. I will search for Come Be My Own.

That's really cool Jay that you had that and played it. I think you should record it and send it to all of us.

By the way, thanks dad for leaving me off the initial email. I know I'm not the favorite, but come on. But seriously, nice memories Dad. I'm learning some cool things I never knew!

I just spoke to Jan from the Zim Zemarel Orchestra. He's been with them for 45 years. He's going to look through their library for Come Be My Own. Figured it was worth a shot.

Well we all know I'm the favorite. Well I was until Tessa came along, but Im okay with that.

That would be awesome Jay. You should totally record it and send it to us. I have a song he wrote for the piano somewhere. I played it a few years back. Not sure if I could do it again. But my books are at Jennie's. So I will look for it next time I'm home.

Tonight, as I was reading Tessa a book about Christmas Eve, I remembered how Granddad use to write us a note from Santa on Christmas Eve. I think he signed it with his left hand to throw us off. Mom and Dad you will have to let me know if I'm correct. One year Beth went around and had everyone sign santa's name. When she couldn't find a match, she believed again that Santa must be real. She was 13! Just kidding. I have no idea how old she was but 13 sounds right.

I totally remember that. I remember making everyone sign "Santa" so I could figure out who it was. I'm pretty sure it was Granddad that signed with his left hand. I don't think I was 13... I was probably 12!

No, Jenn, it really was Santa. What do you mean that he is not real. Granddad loved writing those letters and he also loved eating the cookies and drinking the milk. Sometimes he had to share with Dad. I wonder what ever happened to those letters. Can't believe that I would have thrown them away.