Ross R. Casella

Ross R. Casella, 75, of New Philadelphia and formerly of Titusville, Pennsylvania died Monday, April 24, 2006 at his home following an extended illness.

Born February 19, 1931 in Dover, Ohio he was a son of the late John and Carmella Princiotta Casella.

Ross graduated from Dover High School where he played right guard on the football team, and served in the US Marine Corps from 1949 to 1952. He attended Ohio University, John Carroll University, and the Cleveland Engineering Institute, and was a certified mechanical and design engineer. He moved to Titusville in 1964 and founded Keystone Honing Corporation, and in 1980 he founded Keystone Tube Sales Inc. He was a member of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Steel Service Center Institute of America, the American Management Association, the Fluid Power Society, the American Society for Metals, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

Ross has served as past director of the Titusville United Way and has led fundraising efforts for the Heart Fund and the American Cancer Society. He was a member of the finance committee of Genesis, and a member of the Titusville Industrial Fund, where he served as vice president.

He was an active supporter of the University of Pittsburgh over the years. He was a member of the University�(TM)s charter council, the president�(TM)s club and the Pitt Golden Panthers Coaches Club, and was instrumental in the establishment of the George Barco Business Center at the Titusville Campus.

Ross is survived by his wife, Shirley A. Nigro Casella of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; son, John Casella of Charleston, South Carolina; daughter, Rosalyn Casella and her companion, Stanley Eggleston of Titusville, Pennsylvania; two sisters, Rita Casella and her companion Rudy Ruffini of New Philadelphia and Antoinette Alden of Painesville, Ohio; five grandchildren, Michael, Benjamin and Avenlea Casella, Angela Johnson and Emily Davis; five great grandchildren, Richard, Joseph, Sarah, James and Joshua; many nieces and nephews.

He was also preceded in death by a brother, Carl Casella and a sister, Frances Casella.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 1:00 pm in the St. Joseph Catholic Church with Fr. William Arnold officiating. Interment will be in the Calvary Cemetery at Dover. Friends can call in the Toland-Herzig Funeral Homes and Crematory at Dover on Wednesday from 5-8 pm with Christian Wake services starting at 7:30. A public memorial service will be held on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 at 6:00 pm in the St. Titus Catholic Church at Titusville, Pennsylvania. Those wishing to express their fondest memories of Ross may do so by visiting the on line obituaries link on the funeral homes website.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Tuscarawas County at 201 West 3rd St. Dover, Ohio 44622.

Toland-Herzig
330-343-6132
www.tolandherzig.com