UPDATED: Funeral Services Held Friday for Former Governor, U.S. Congressman Mike Castle

August 22, 2025/Joe Ciccanti

UPDATED – 08/22/25 – Funeral services for former Congressman Mike Castle were held Friday in Greenville. Delaware’s Congressional delegation as well as President Joe Biden, former Senator Tom Carper, Governor Matt Meyer, friends and family attended the ceremony at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church. Castle served in the Delaware State House and Senate, as well as Deputy Attorney General, Lt Governor and was a 2-term Governor and went on to become the longest-serving Representative in Congress in Delaware’s history. Castle died a week ago after a long illness – he was 86. Burial was private.

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UPDATED – 08/15/25 – Funeral arrangements have been announced for former US Congressman, Mike Castle, who died Thursday.  

Visitation will be held at Chandler Funeral Home, 2506 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE from 5:00 to 8:00 pm on Thursday, August 21.  Overflow parking will be available at St. Mary Magdalen Roman Catholic Church, 7 Sharpley Road, Wilmington, DE. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, August 22 at 10:30 a.m., at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church, 10 Old Church Road, Wilmington, DE immediately followed by a Celebration of Life at the Wilmington Country Club, 4825 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE.  Burial will be private.  

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to The Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware, 669 S. Union Street, Wilmington, DE 19805 or Friends of Wilmington Parks, P.O. Box 435, Montchanin, DE  19710-0435.

Click here for Congressman Castle’s obituary

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ORIGINAL STORY – 08/14/25 – Former Congressman Mike Castle has died at the age of 86. Castle was the 69th Governor of Delaware from 1985 through December of 1992 and served in the US House of Representatives from 1993 through 2011. He served one term as Lt. Governor from 1981 to 1985. Castle also was a member of the Delaware State House and Senate. Castle was a Republican – and was the last elected Republican Governor of Delaware.

Castle was responsible for the 50 State quarters program and the Sacagawea dollar and several other coin programs.

Castle was born in Wilmington and lived in the First State his whole life. He graduated fro the Tower Hill School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Hamilton College in New York State. In 1964 Castle earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington and was admitted to both the Delaware Bar and the Washington D.C. bar. Until 1975 Castle worked as an attorney – then serviced as Deputy Attorney General in Delaware from 1965 – 1966 before he was elected to the Delaware State House in 1966.

Castle died Thursday, August 14, 2025, in Greenville, Delaware where he was living at a retirement home.

Senator Chris Coons’ statement on the passing of Mike Castle

U.S. Senator Chris Coons issued the following statement on the passing of former Congressman and Governor Mike Castle:

“When I was a student in high school, a teacher once asked me if I had any interest in politics. She introduced me to the man whose election campaign would be the first for which I would ever volunteer. That man was Mike Castle. Getting to know Mike then, he was kind, genuine, civically minded, responsible – an old-fashioned Republican.

“Over the arc of the more than 40 years that I knew him – I met him when I was 16 – he repeatedly provided his knowledge and expertise to help me along my own way. When he was a congressman and I was county executive, we worked together often, including some important investments into the C&D Canal greenway. When we eventually ran against each other, I did my absolute best to run a respectful, positive, policy-based campaign. As we campaigned against each other, I only liked him more. There was an editorial written about how civilized we were. I am prouder of that column than almost anything.

“I was able to enjoy visiting with him and getting advice from him several times in my first few years in the Senate. Actually continuing the work he’d started on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis – a disease that claimed the lives of Mike’s brother and sister – was another goal I’ll cherish from my time in public office. He was an incredible man, and Annie and I are praying for Jane and for the many Delawareans touched by his life and friendship.”

Sokola & Hocker: Castle’s legacy embodies the best of “the Delaware Way”
 
DOVER — On Thursday afternoon, Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola and Senate Minority Leader Gerald Hocker have issued the following joint statement:
 
“In a time when our state and our nation feel so deeply divided, we come together to honor the memory of Mike Castle.
 
Former Governor and Congressman Castle was not just a leader in the Delaware Republican Party, but has long been revered as a distinguished statesman by those across the political spectrum. 
 
His legacy of public service embodies the best of what “the Delaware Way” has had to offer our state over the years: responsive leadership, mutual respect, and a willingness to collaborate with anyone on behalf of the people of Delaware. 
 
He will be sorely missed by many, but his legacy will live on.”
 
Sen. Sokola served in the General Assembly under Governor Castle from November 1990 – January 1993. 
Statement from Governor Matt Meyer
 
“Today, Delaware mourns the passing of a remarkable public servant, Mike Castle. As governor and our state’s longest-serving U.S. representative, he embodied what it means to lead with principle, decency, and dedication.  
 
“During his time as governor, Mike Castle visited every single school in our state, including mine, where he spoke to my high school class with the same warmth, humility, and commitment to public service that defined his career. That moment, among others, demonstrated what a good man he was and how deeply he cared about Delaware’s future.
 
“He expanded access to cancer and diabetes screenings, brought health care directly to our schools, and developed community health-care centers that continue to serve Delawareans today. He strengthened our public schools and led with fiscal discipline, keeping Delaware on a sound financial foundation for years to come.
 
“With humor and grit, his work kept Delawareans’ interests at heart and earned him widespread respect lasting far beyond partisan lines.
 
“Governor Castle was a leader in a generation of Delawareans who put people before politics—whose bipartisan spirit and dedication to service set a standard to which we all aspire.  
 
“Lauren and I extend our deepest condolences to Jane and the whole family and all who were fortunate enough to call him a friend.”
Statement from Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester:

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of a true Delaware political giant, Mike Castle. Governor Castle was a fixture in Delaware politics for nearly half a century. As one of his hundreds of thousands of constituents, I always admired how gracefully he led. From his focus on educating our children and maintaining fiscal responsibility to his commitment to protecting our environment, his presence throughout our state will be missed.

“He served the First State selflessly, with a pragmatic approach and relentless optimism. One of my fondest memories of Mike was with my late dad, Ted Blunt. Not only did they share a love of public service, but they also shared a love of basketball. They joked about playing basketball on the same team and against each other on several occasions over the years. His steady hand and attunement to the needs of his constituents made him unique — a quality that will be missed in politically challenging times such as these. His legacy will surely live on. I send my deepest condolences to his wife, Jane, his family and loved ones, and all who crossed his path. May he rest in eternal peace.”

House Leadership Statement 

 In response to the news of former political leader Mike Castle’s passing on Thursday, August 14th, Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris, and House Majority Whip Ed Osienski issued the following statement:
 
“Today we learned the sad news of the passing of former Governor and Congressman Mike Castle. Governor Castle was a principled leader and a thoughtful public servant who worked across the aisle to improve the lives of all Delawareans. 
 
“Starting his career in the Delaware House of Representatives, he served in many roles throughout Delaware, dedicating more than 40 years of his life to public service. As current leaders in the House, it is humbling to reflect on his accomplishments and his rise from the General Assembly to Governor and to Congressman.
 
“Castle’s legacy of a balanced fiscal approach to further economic development is a hallmark that continues to this day. One of his biggest accomplishments was the creation of the Transportation Trust Fund, an initiative that may be unseen by the public, but has had an enormous impact on every single Delawarean. We are grateful that his legacy of environmental conservation carries on with the recreational trail along the C&D Canal, which is named in his honor.
 
“Governor Castle was often seen as one of Delaware’s most prominent public figures, and we can all learn from the example that he has set for public servants throughout this state.
 
“Our thoughts are with his family and close friends at this time. We hope it brings some comfort to know that the entire state is grieving along with them.”
Statement from Tom Carper:
 
“Mike and I shared a journey that spanned more than four decades – sometimes as colleagues in Dover and Washington D.C., sometimes as opponents on the basketball court – but always as partners in service to the people of the First State. From his early days in the State House to his years as Lieutenant Governor, Governor, and then our Congressman, Mike Castle embodied what public service is supposed to look like: thoughtful, principled, and always grounded in doing what was right – not just what was easy, or what was popular – but what was right.

 “Mike was a proud Republican. I am a lifelong Democrat. But that never got in the way of our friendship – or our work on behalf of Delawareans. We were united by our shared love for Delaware, and a determination to leave it better than we found it. His legacy is etched into the fabric of our state – from the schools and institutions he championed, to the civility and collaboration he modeled every day. But above all, he leaves behind an example of a life well-lived in public service and in private kindness.

 “Martha and I mourn the loss of our dear friend. Our hearts go out to Jane and to their family and friends. Let’s carry forward the values he held dear: integrity, humility, bipartisanship and a belief that government, at its best, can be a force for great good.” 

 
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Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE) issued the following statement on the passing of former Delaware Congressman and Governor Mike Castle:

“Mike Castle was a giant in Delaware politics—having served in the state House and Senate, as Lieutenant Governor, Governor, and in the very seat I now hold in the U.S. House.

“He was a man of decency who understood the importance of respect and collaboration in public service, always working for the common good of our state of neighbors. Mike helped build the Delaware of today and, in Congress, expanded investment in research, the arts, and small businesses. He worked across the aisle often and courageously. 

“My deepest sympathies are with Jane and all his loved ones as they grieve this great loss. Delawareans are indebted to his family for his lifetime of service to our state.”

 

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