Louis Castellaneta, 99, of Westchester, formerly of Oak Park, died at home on Aug. 15, 2014. He grew up in Milwaukee and graduated from Proviso High School in Maywood, then served in the Navy during World War II as a corpsman on Okinawa, where he learned Japanese so he could provide the local population with better medical assistance. He worked as a lithographer for R.R. Donnelley before and after the war. He was also an animal lover, a painter, and a member of the Oak Park Art League.
He met his wife at a dude ranch in Michigan. They bought a home on Humphrey Avenue in Oak Park where they lived for decades.
The Castellaneta household was a lively one, thanks partly to the presence of their son, Dan, who grew up to become the voice of Homer Simpson and Krusty the Clown on TV’s The Simpsons. Dan would crack everyone up with his bits at the dinner table, but his father was no straight man. He would also entertain with stories inspired by his favorite comics, including Red Skelton. He taught his son how to “throw” his voice and bought him a dummy to practice on. Dan’s first performance was at the Boy Scouts’ annual Blue and Gold Dinner. Lou wrote the script for him.
“He did it perfectly,” Lou recalled in a Jan. 21, 1998 Wednesday Journal profile.
Lou taught senior exercise classes at the Oak Park YMCA in the 1980s, and he underwent triple bypass surgery around the age of 90.
He and his wife were often seen around Oak Park wearing matching “Simpsons” jackets. Of the village, Lou said, “It’s a wonderful place. Oak Park keeps everything on an even keel.”
Lou Castellaneta was the husband of the late Elsie (Lagorio). He is survived by his son, Dan; his daughters, Gina Castellaneta and Paula (Peter) Pohlhammer; two grandsons and a great-granddaughter.
A private service was held by the family.