Prestina Maria Casella

Prestina Maria Casella was born in Roswell, New Mexico, on December 25th, 1945. She left this world in Temperanceville, VA, on March 16th, 2025, at the age of 79, surrounded by her loving family. 

Prestina worked as a beautician and hairdresser in her youth and maintained her sense of style until the end. She loved movies, especially old rom-coms, adaptations of A Christmas Carol (she determined Alastair Sim was the best Scrooge), and the 1995 Pride and Prejudice (which she would finish and then immediately start over again). 

Prestina loved what she called “comfort food” and taught her children and grandchildren the recipes of her childhood, such as homemade flour tortillas, red and green chili, and enchiladas. 

She herself found comfort in her faith throughout her life and was a devout Catholic. She took pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Medjugorje and always wore her scapular. Prestina had a strong personality and a mischievous spirit. She was funny, clever, and deeply obnoxious. She fought and loved with equal tenacity. She left her home in New Mexico and moved to Wilmington, DE, where she raised four children with her husband Alfio Vincent Casella, who preceded her in death in 2009. Prestina is also preceded in death by her sister Priscilla, her parents (Trinidad and Hiriam), and her son Perry Casella.

She is survived by her daughter Trina Burns, her sons Anthony and Vincent Casella, and her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a one-of-a-kind human and will be deeply missed.

There will be a Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM on Friday, March 21, 2025, at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Onley, VA. There will also be a service at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at  Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in  Bear, DE.

Services entrusted to Salyer Funeral Home on Chincoteague Island, Va. Condolences may be made online at www.salyerfh.com 

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