Charlie Catania

Charles "Charlie" Catania

Charlie Catania, 91, was called home by his loving God on August 7, 2016 after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Erie, PA, on 1/9/1925, he was the son of Giuseppe and Maria (Millimaci) Catania.

Charlie attended Strong Vincent High School and Erie Technical School , then served in the U.S. Army 83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion of the Third Armored Division (Spearhead)during WWII, liberating many towns and camps. He was recently honored by the Jewish Community Council of Erie for his service.

Charlie's talents weren't limited to one career. He worked as a journalist for the Erie Times-News and Daily Dispatch and held manufacturing and insurance sales positions before opening his own insurance sales agency. He then became Human Resources Director at McInnes Steel in Corry, PA and the Erie Malleable & Iron Company (EMI) in Erie, from which he retired. After retiring, Charles was involved in a successful human resources consulting business with his daughter, Gay.

His commitment to the Erie community was both meaningful and inspiring. Charlie was particularly proud of being a founding member of the Erie Wolves Club, Den # 8, which has awarded over $2 million in scholarships to date. He was past president of The National Association of the Wolves, The Personnel Association (now the Human Resources Association of NWPA), the Lawrence Park Golf Club, and the Nuova Aurora Society. Additional boards on which Charlie served were the Erie Water Authority and the March of Dimes, plus he served on numerous committees for countless other charities and organizations. He was a very active member of St. Paul's parish including serving as President of the Holy Name Society, chairing the Golf Tournament on a regular basis, participating in various committees, working the festival and being a member of the first Parish Alive team for the church. His most important role at the parish, however, was serving as an Acolyte. Charles was active in the Cursillo movement for quite a few years. For over a decade, he enjoyed speaking to the students at Walnut Creek Middle School, where his daughter, Joy, teaches, about his experiences surrounding his caring for 3 younger brothers after the death of both parents and his WWII service. Charlie always offered a helping hand to anyone in need and was a trusted and true friend to countless fortunate individuals.

Many will remember Charles as an accomplished musician. Charlie was especially fond of the swing big band era and strongly believed "if you ain't got that swing, then you ain't got a thing". He was a member of a 28-piece military band during his service in the Army. He greatly enjoyed playing drums and singing with his band, Charlie Catania and the Stardusters, as well as with various musicians in the area, providing decades of great entertainment to the people of Erie and surrounding areas.

He enjoyed traveling and spending time with family and friends and never missed any important event involving his grandchildren, including those out-of-town. The highlights of his travels were his trips to Sicily where he was able to locate long lost family and re-establish lasting relationships for generations to come.

As a Penn State season-ticket holder for decades, Charlie cheered on his beloved Nittany Lions. Many think his blood flowed blue and white!

In addition to his parents, Charles was preceded in death by his foster parents Thomas and Mary (Angelotti) Toskin; his son, Alan Catania; his brother, Joseph Catania; and uncle and aunt, Philip and Josephine (Musso) Millimaci.

He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Virginia "Gini" Weber Catania of Erie; son, Dennis (Jean Berry) Weber of Virginia Beach, VA; daughters Joy Maria Catania (Herman Dillner) and Gay Marie Catania of Erie. Charles is further survived by brothers James Catania of Paradise, CA, Carmen (Eunice) Catania of Arvada, CO; sister-in-law, Portia Catania of Napa, CA; grandchildren Denise Weber (Christopher Popa) of Clarksville, MD; Michael (Lisa) Weber of Virginia Beach, VA; Susannah Faulkner of San Francisco, CA; great-grandchildren Devin, Leighann, Joelle and Matthew; cousins, Flora (Millimaci) Pamula, Joseph Millimaci and Philip (Marian) Millimaci; his beloved familia in Sicily, and many nieces and nephews. He will also be greatly missed by his much-loved dog and best buddy, Annie.

Charles is also survived by the children of his foster parents, whom he considered his siblings: Brothers, Frank (Evelyn) Toskin of Erie and Thomas (Giselle) Toskin of Dayton, OH; and sister, Elizabeth "Liz" Toskin Jozefczyk of Erie. Eleanor (Toskin) Wheeler preceded him in death.

Charlie and the family would like to acknowledge and express sincere appreciation for the enormous, expert and loving support provided by the Veteran's Association, The Erie VA Medical Center staff, Regional Home Health & Hospice workers, Home Instead caregivers, and his medical providers throughout his 15-year battle.

A memorial mass will be held on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, 1617 Walnut Street, Erie, PA. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. with mass at 11:00 a.m. and a luncheon, to continue the celebration of Charlie's life, immediately following mass at St. Paul's Recreation Center. The John R. Orlando Funeral Home, Inc., 2122 Raspberry Street is handling arrangements

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Wolves Club Scholarship Fund, PO Box 3163, Erie, PA 16508 or to a charity of one's choice.