Ronald D. Castille, the Republican former Philly DA and chief justice of Pennsylvania, has died
After losing a leg in Vietnam, Chief Justice Castille became a lawyer, won the Philly district attorney's race as a Republican, and rose to the state's top judicial position.
Ronald D. Castille, 82, a wounded Vietnam veteran who was elected Philadelphia district attorney as a Republican and rose to the top position on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, died Wednesday, Nov. 4.
After losing a leg to gunfire in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Chief Justice Castille earned a law degree. He won the district attorney’s race in 1985, surprising people who said a Republican could not pull it off. He was chief justice from 2008 to 2014, earning a reputation for fairness and nonpartisanship.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd, a Democrat, said her predecessor had a lasting impact on the state.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of former Chief Justice Ron Castille, whose life was defined by an extraordinary commitment to service, duty, and the pursuit of justice,” Todd said.
Chief Justice Castille was born in Miami, graduated from Auburn College in 1966, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1965, according to his obituary.
On his 23rd birthday in 1967, Chief Justice Castille lost his right leg to heavy machine-gun fire in Vietnam and was medically discharged from the Marines after receiving a Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V,” two Purple Hearts, and other honors.
Chief Justice Castille, who used crutches for the rest of his life, completed law school at the University of Virginia while recovering from his injuries at Philadelphia Naval Hospital. He joined the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office under Republican District Attorney Arlen Specter and worked there for 14 years.
In 1985, he was elected district attorney, making him the first Republican to win a citywide office since 1969.
Chief Justice Castille was an assistant district attorney when former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell took over the prosecutor’s office in 1978, Rendell said Friday. Rendell said he put Chief Justice Castille in charge of the homicide division, where he did “great work.”
Chief Justice Castille took it in stride when he lost a mayoral primary to Frank Rizzo in 1991, said Rendell, who won the general election that year. Instead, two years later, he was elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
In presiding over the court, Chief Justice Castille set a tone of fairness, Rendell said.
“He understood his role,” Rendell said. “He knew he had to set the tone for the court. He was a charismatic guy, but he knew when to tone it down.”
Rendell said he was impressed at how Chief Justice Castille overcame his wartime injuries, recovered from setbacks, and always seemed to be in good spirits. He learned to ski, Rendell said, and was a golfer and boater.
“Personally, he was the most resilient guy I ever met,” Rendell said.
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge also praised Chief Justice Castille.
“A combat veteran in Vietnam, Justice Castille’s remarkable career was defined by an unrelenting work ethic, resiliency, fairness and civility,” Ridge, a Republican, wrote on X. “He was an extraordinary public servant whose legacy will live well beyond his 82 years.”
Todd noted that Chief Justice Castille was “influential in developing law under the Pennsylvania Constitution, authoring important cases involving freedom of expression, the Environmental Rights Amendment, reapportionment and redistricting, criminal procedure, excessive fines, and the separation of powers.”
He also led the courts through lean economic times, making sure courts stayed open despite budget issues, she said. In 2013, Chief Justice Castille set up the Elder Law Task Force focused on legal issues affecting older Pennsylvanians.
“Chief Justice Castille left a substantial judicial legacy, authoring more than four hundred majority opinions touching upon virtually every area of law,” she said.
As Chief Justice Castille rose in prominence, Todd noted, he often mentioned the Marines he knew who died in Vietnam, and in particular Angel Mendez, a platoon sergeant whom he credited with saving his life and who was killed during the same battle.
“To some extent, I live my life for them, and my accomplishments are their accomplishments,” Chief Justice Castille said when he was sworn in to the state’s top judicial position in 2008. He later helped establish the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Society Hill, near Penn’s Landing.
At that 2008 ceremony, Chief Justice Castille emphasized the need for the justices’ nonpartisanship and the courts’ independence from the two other branches of government. As condolences and memorials poured in online, some people recounted his dedication to nonpartisanship.
“When people claim that jurists just decide cases in a way that tracks their personal political party affiliation and professional background, I remind them about Chief Justice Castille,” wrote Bucks County Court Judge Jordan Yeager.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said the chief justice dedicated his life to serving others, first in the military, and then as a district attorney and judge.
“Our commonwealth and our country are better off because of his sacrifice and commitment to justice,” Shapiro, a Democrat, said. “Lori and I are holding Chief Justice Castille’s family in our hearts today. May his memory forever be a blessing.”
Chief Justice Castille is survived by his wife, Susan Kilgus Castille, and his family.
Information on a memorial service was not immediately available.
