Philip Castleman

Longmeadow- Philip Castleman 91, beloved husband for 41 years to the late Mary (Joseph) Castleman, died February 7, 2020 .
Philip was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on May 6, 1928 to the late Samuel and Florence (Shapiro) Castleman.
Philip was a resident of Longmeadow for 60 years. He was employed by Grossmans Lumber company for 20 years, retiring in 1972 to pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer. He attended Suffolk University law school and became a member of the bar in 1977. He practiced law for over 30 years in Springfield, and made an unsuccessful run for district attorney in the early 90s. He was in partnership with his son Joel in the law firm of Castleman and Castleman for more than 20 years. For his third act Phil started Castle Arms/Fishermans Furs and Feathers, a business that specialized in selling rare and exotic feathers and furs for the Classic Atlantic Salmon fly tiers, establishing a reputation around the world in this field and making friends everywhere he went. He also developed and had manufactured his own brand of fly rods, Heritage Rods, which were admired and fished with by many fly fishermen near and far.
He was very active in community affairs and was involved in state and local politics for many years. Philip served as a Longmeadow Recreation Commissioner in the 1960s, as well as a little league coach and Lions Club. He was active in the republican party and advised many candidates, including former state and federal Attorney General Elliot Richardson, Lt. Governor Francis Hatch and State Senator Ed Brooke.
Philip was an avid fly fisherman ( who tied his own flies) , hunter, outdoorsman, musician, photographer and a life-long member of Trout Unlimited, Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Nature Conservancy, the Miramichi River Association and other wildlife organizations.
Phil enjoyed nothing more than spending time with his grandchildren since they were infants, and could always be found on the sidelines of their games cheering them on. He was a lifelong New England sports fans and was lucky enough to watch his beloved Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins and Celtics win titles in his lifetime.
Philip is survived by his children, David Castleman of Newtown Square, PA, Anne Castleman and husband Martin Lai, of Aarhus , Denmark, Joel Castleman and his former spouse, Wendy Bauer of Wilbraham, MA; his dear sister, Ann Lee Schreiber of Bradenton , Florida; his brother-in -law Paul Joseph of Norwood, MA and two sisters-in-law, Ruth Joseph and Barbara Joseph of Waterville, ME; 3 grandchildren, Hali Castleman and her spouse, Lindsey Mayer of Westford, MA, Maxwell Castleman of Springfield, MA, Emily Castleman of Springfield, MA; and many nieces, nephews and extended family whom Phil always loved to see and spend time with. All are invited to attend a gathering from 2:00PM – 5:00PM on Wednesday (February 12, 2020) in the Forastiere Smith Family Funeral Home, 220 North Main St., East Longmeadow. Private burial will be at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pioneer Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, 3 Knight Street, Belchertown, MA 01007 or the Atlantic Salmon Federation, PO Box 807, Calais, ME 04619-0807.