Brookeville, MD – Laurence E. Castelli passed away suddenly on Monday, September 4th 2023. Larry was raised in Marlboro, Massachusetts, and moved to Washington, DC, to study law at The American University.
Larry was a loving father to his children Peter Castelli of Sandy Spring, Maryland, and Helen-Marie Castelli of Austin, Texas. Larry was married to Andrea Lamphier, who remained a loving friend and co-parent.
Larry’s children, family, and friends were his top priority. Larry and Peter enjoyed traveling the country volunteering for the U.S. Open Golf Championship and watching anything related to Boston sports. Larry enjoyed officiating Helen-Marie’s many (many) swim meets. She was also one of the few people who could match Larry when debating current events and politics, although he didn’t stand a chance in topping Peter with sports knowledge.
Larry loved debating anyone at any time. His memory was legendary, whether it involved obscure legal cases, moon cycles, sports, music, or history. Everyone wanted Larry on their Trivia team. He was also incredibly talented at home repair when he had the time. Larry also loved Cape Cod Massachusetts. His many friends appreciated the beautiful Cape sunsets he photographed each visit for family reunions, birthdays, and 4th of July celebrations with family. He was known as a preppy dresser, and dearly looked forward to Memorial Day each year, after which he happily donned his seersucker suits, “dirty bucks,” his straw boater hat, and his infamous madras trousers and matching polo shirts, usually from Brooks Brothers. His immediate family is sure that many of his sartorial combinations helped coin the phrase “shock and awe.”
In addition to being the repository of arcane knowledge, Larry eagerly absorbed information and deployed skills in technology, from installing new hard drives to becoming a thought leader in what was an evolving area of law, privacy, most especially in the lead-up to and aftermath of September 11.
Larry retired as a Customs and Border Protection Privacy Officer after a 30-year career. In his last assignment, he was the Acting Privacy Officer and in-house privacy expert for the Department of Homeland Security. His work ensured Federal compliance with important privacy laws while still protecting the American public. During his tenure, he received several awards, including highest-level awards from 2005 to 2017, and the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) Secretary’s Award for Team Excellence.
During his early years with the Customs Service, in the Office of Rulings and Regulations, Larry became active in union membership, and later became President of his union chapter (National Treasury Employees Union) NTEU 101, from 1999 until promotion to management in July 2005. He was an inspiring and dedicated leader and was highly regarded in this capacity by both (NTEU) members and management. Privately, he was certain that one of the prevailing factors in this promotion was to keep him off management’s back.
Larry was, for many years, a member of the congregation at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, in Brookeville, Maryland. He was on the vestry for several terms and formed fast friendships with the small but loving community of St. Luke’s both before and after his illness. After his discharge from active neurological rehabilitation, Larry found another community with the Stroke Comeback Center. He enjoyed reading books, reviewing movies, and taking history classes with fellow brain injury survivors. Only Larry could rebound from a devastating aneurysm to Zoom his way through church services, Vestry Meetings, and online book clubs.
Larry was the first-born son of Dr. William Castelli and Mrs. Majorie Irene Castelli (who predeceased him). Larry is also survived by his brother William Castelli and his wife Erin of Cheverly, Maryland, and his sister Allyson Larsen and her husband Lance of Danvers, Massachusetts. His many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and Uncle will miss him dearly.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, October 28, at 11:00 am, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Brighton Parish, 1001 Brighton Dam Rd, Brookeville, MD 20833, followed by a Funeral Reception at The Manor at Silo Falls, 19501 Georgia Avenue, Brookeville, MD 20833.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that Memorial Contributions be made to two institutions very dear to Larry’s heart:
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Brighton Parish
P.O. Box 131, 1001 Brighton Dam Rd, Brookeville, MD 20833, or you may contact the office at (240) 389-5853
Stroke Comeback Center
145 Park Street, S.E.
Vienna, VA 22180
If you need information call (703) 255-5221 or email [email protected].
The Roy W. Barber Funeral Home of Maryland assisted with arrangements.
