Family, friends, colleagues and admirers will convene later this month in Boynton Beach to celebrate the life of Democratic Rep. Joe Casello, who died last month at 73.
The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 20 at the Copperpoint Brewing Company.
“Please join us for a drink as we joyously remember the life of Joe Casello,” a flyer for the occasion says.
Born in Worcester, Massachusetts on Feb. 20, 1952, Casello’s life was repeatedly marked by service to his country and community.
The son of a Navy World War II veteran, he served as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1970s, installing radio transmission sites throughout the country.
In 1974, he was appointed to the Worcester Fire Department and was promoted to lieutenant a decade later. His work with the Fire Department included investigating arson cases and collaborating with the state Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
He graduated from the Worcester Industrial Technical Institute in 1972 and from Quinsigamond Community College in 2002, where he earned an Associate in Science degree.
He moved to Florida in 2009 after retiring from the Fire Department.
His entry to politics came four years later, in 2013, when he narrowly won the District 4 seat on the Boynton Beach City Commission. After serving there for five years, he successfully ran for the Florida House, where he served until his death.
As a lawmaker, he successfully backed a measure establishing the Purple Alert system, which help find missing adults with mental or cognitive disabilities who are not covered by the state’s Silver Alert system.
He also sponsored legislation to strengthen medical benefits for firefighters who contract cancer in the line of duty, and worked to pass a joint resolution allowing the surviving spouses of deceased or disabled veterans to continue claiming tax credits.
A licensed electrical contractor, Casello owned and operated Casello Electrical Services for roughly 30 years.
His civic engagements included service on the Palm Beach County League of Cities Board of Directors, Palm Beach Sober Home Task Force, Municipal Retirees Association and JFK Hospital Board of Trustees.
He also served as President of the Knollwood Homeowners Association and volunteered with Feeding South Florida during the pandemic.
Casello died July 18 after suffering a heart attack. At the time, he was campaigning in the 2026 race for Palm Beach County Commission.
An outpouring of fond but sorrowful sentiments from both sides of the political aisle followed. Gov. Ron DeSantis did not publicly acknowledge Casello’s death, nor did he call for the traditional lowering of flags across the state to honor his memory.
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