Barbara Castro

Barbara Castro, 80, of Cedar Rapids, fondly known as "Nana", passed away Sunday, June 30, 2019, at Manor Care, Cedar Rapids. Private Family Services will be held at a later date. Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids, is caring for Barbara and her family. Survivors include her children, Mario (Paula) Castro, AJ (Germaine) Castro, and Allison (Don) Whitenack, Barbara (Chad) Stewart, Marc Castro, and Erin Soltas; grandchildren, Corie Castro (Michael Lussow), Katin Whitenack (Paxton Lewis), Christina Stewart (Anthony Bernard), Kelly Whitenack, AJ Castro (Anna Kilpatrick), Bailey Castro, Taylor Stewart, Alexei Soltas, and Nikolai Soltas; great-grandchildren, Iris Estelle Whitenack and Levi James Lussow; and many extended family members and friends. Barbara Estelle Castro was born June 20, 1939, in Youngstown, Ohio, to Steven and Mary (Tadla) Toth. She met her first love, Mario Castro, in junior high school. Barbara graduated from Poly High School in Long Beach California, then married Mario in 1960. They had four children, Mario, AJ, Allison, and Barbara. In 1969, Mario passed away, leaving Barbara a widow with four children at age 29. Years later, she married Adolph 'Rudy' Castro, and moved from Long Beach to Cerritos, California. They settled there and raised their children, including Mark and Erin Castro from Adolph's previous marriage. Barbara opened her first home daycare, alongside her part-time jeweler job at the Cerritos Mall. In 1995, Barbara and Adolph, along with their daughter, Allison and her family, moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to join their eldest son Mario and his family. There, Barbara opened and ran her full-time home daycare, retiring in her late sixties. On December 4, 2012, her husband, Adolph passed away. After his passing, she continued to spend cherished time with her family. On June 20, 2019, they celebrated her 80th birthday. She is forever in our hearts. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Mario; husband, Rudy; and her siblings.