Retiree keeps things rolling!

Did you ever wonder what life would be like once you retired? There should be plenty of time for golf, family, hobbies and Caribbean vacations. No so for Henry DelCastillo, a 35-year career as a sales management executive at Mattel.

Henry made the decision to retire.“I made the choice to retire, even though my company wasn’t ready for me to go,” explained DelCastillo, who had also retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of colonel 10 years earlier after 36 years of continuous service. “I had decided that I wanted to move on.”He found himself filled with the same restless energy that had driven him from his home at age 17 and propelled him into a life of consistent achievement and impressive professional success.

He was ready to search for something to fill his time.“…After I stopped working, I found myself wondering, ‘What am I going to do…?’ he admitted. “I don’t play golf, I don’t really have hobbies, and my grandchildren are grown. I realized that I needed to be involved in service.”

The drive to be productive is a deeply ingrained personal characteristic, explained DelCastillo, a native of New York City. “I was a high school dropout. I joined the Army on a whim at 17. The Army got me on the right path, and I began working toward my education,” he recalled.

Having attended other area Catholic churches in the past, DelCastillo found himself inspired by a meeting in 2004 with Father John Robert Skeldon, who was serving as an associate pastor at St. Michael Church in Bedford at the time.

Talking with Fr. Skeldon was a turning point for me,” reflected DelCastillo. “He was very instrumental in leading me into this life of service. I consider it something of an awakening.”

After becoming a parishioner at St. Michael’s, DelCastillo soon became involved in weekly Scripture studies, stewardship efforts, and the work of the Northeast Emergency Distribution Committee (NEED), an interfaith outreach program supported by the parish. As he personally interviewed NEED clients as a volunteer counselor, he was struck by the problems faced by individuals who lacked dependable transportation and were thus unable to find and maintain employment.“

The transportation service, offered free of charge to eligible residents, has now been operational for over a year and has provided over 2,000 rides during that time. American Red Cross vans provide transportation from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, to low-income workers in the HEB area.

As for Henry DelCastillo, while he considers the HEB Transit Project “a tremendous success,” he isn’t content to rest upon his laurels. He is also passionate about his work with “Educate the Children,” a Mission Council program of the Diocese of Fort Worth that partners with Father Bob Thames in serving children in Cabezas, Bolivia. DelCastillo has been to Bolivia twice to assist with the program, he said. “Actually, my reasons for serving are very selfish,” mused DelCastillo. “I just want to ‘pay back’ for all of the benefits and treasures I have received.

The Holy Spirit has entered my life, and while I thought I was the one in charge all these years, it’s taken me until now to learn that [God] was the one who has always been in control. And I’m grateful. That’s why I do what I do.” This inspirational story was featured in North Texas Catholic.

Henry, did you consider becoming a Deacon?