63rd Annual Columbus Day Parade

Downtown Westerly-Pawcatuck.

 Press Release
Grand Marshal and Theme Chosen for the 63^rd Annual Westerly/Pawcatuck Columbus Day Parade
This year’s Grand Marshal, Pasquale L. “Patsy” Castagna,  Westerly, RI, September 8, 2009:  The Permanent Committee of the Westerly Columbus Day Parade has announced that the Parade’s Grand Marshal for 2010 will be Mr. Pasquale L. Castagna, or “Patsy” as he is known in the community. The Committee also announced that the theme of the 63^nd annual parade will be “Honoring Old Glory.”  Pasquale “Patsy” Castagna was born in Westerly in 1921. He is one of three Castagna brothers, including Ray, a local realtor and businessman, and Louis, who was killed in Germany near the end of World War II. Patsy himself served with the US Army Engineers during World War II, including extensive service in the Pacific, where he won the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, among other awards. Patsy is a lifetime member of the Amancio Falcone Gaccione VFW Post, and the American Legion.
In 1950, Patsy married Bernice E. Stribl, of Westerly. They would remain married for the next 57 years, until Bernice’s death in 2008. Patsy and Bernice had four children – Sharon Ferguson of Old Lyme, CT; Patricia White, Michael Castagna, and Louis Castagna, all of Westerly – as well as eight grandchildren, and a number of great-grandchildren. Patsy worked for 34 years with the United States Postal Service. He retired in 1983. Over the years, Patsy also worked for Besso’s Newstand, the EZ Package Store, and J.C. Penney Stores. In 1987, Patsy began a working association with Grandeview Bed & Breakfast as property manager.  In 2005 he was honored as the Outstanding Older Worker in Rhode Island by Experience Works, a national organization that promotes the employment of senior citizens. Patsy is currently on medical leave from Grandeview Bed & Breakfast. 
Although family and work kept Patsy a very busy man, he has always found time to serve the community. He began working with the Westerly Columbus Day Parade Committee in 1964 and became its chairman in 1967, a post he held until 2008. He is a lifetime member of the Calabrese Club, a lifelong member of Immaculate Conception parish, and served for 36 years on both the Westerly Planning Commission and the Westerly Recreation Board. Decades ago, Patsy coached a semi-pro basketball team in Westerly, as well as the Masonic Lodge softball team that won a state championship sometime in the 1970’s. When asked what it is about Westerly that has kept him so committed to this community for 89 years, his response is typically plainspoken: “To begin with I was born and raised here,” he said. “These are the only people I ever knew. And even though I traveled a lot, every time I come back from those places I thank God for being from Westerly.”
The Westerly Columbus Day Parade, begun in 1947, is one of New England’s oldest and largest Columbus Day parades. This year’s parade is scheduled to kick-off from the corner of Tower and Granite Streets, Westerly, at 1:10 PM on Sunday, October 10, 2010. For  information on marching units and bands, or to make a donation or reservation, visit our Web site at www.columbusdayparade.net.


 Thanks to our sponsors:
 
Town of Westerly
Town of Stonington
The Washington Trust Company
Citizens Bank
Calabrese Society
The Westerly Sun
Charter Oak Federal Credit Union
Westerly Community Credit Union
The Cherenzia Companies
McGill Chevrolet
Breezeway Resort and Maria’s Seaside Café
Newport Federal Credit Union

For a Reservation Form:
 http://www.columbusdayparade.net/reservation.htm