Obituary

Mario Raul Casale was born on April 7th, 1978, in Fountain Valley, California, to doting parents, Malcolm and Vera Casale. Mario was born nearly 7 weeks prematurely, and weighed only 4 and a half pounds, so this little family grew extra close as they took care of their tiny boy.

The family lived for 3 years in Costa Mesa, California, before buying their first home in El Toro, California, late in 1980. In 1981, Mario became a big brother to his newborn sister, Teresa Isabelle. At this time, Mario’s parents enrolled him in a local Montessori preschool. There, it was evident that, though Mario was very shy, he loved his academics and was very smart. By the time he started kindergarten he was proficient at reading and writing, multiplication and division. He was a gifted student.

The family then moved to Mission Viejo and Mario began his elementary school education at Stoneybrook Christian School in San Juan Capistrano, where he learned to fall in love with the Word of God and Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. His family was involved at Ocean Hills Community Church in San Juan Capistrano. In 1990, when Mario was 12 years old, the whole family went on a Holy Land Tour in Israel. There he had the privilege of being baptized in the Jordan River, just like Jesus was. He often shared his faith with extended family and neighbors.

Mario started his secular education at La Paz Intermediate School and Mission Viejo High School. By this time, he had been involved in many sports and activities. As a little boy, and into his teens, he excelled in tennis, swimming, gymnastics, soccer, wrestling, rollerblading, football, Tae Kwon Do, the piano, and Chess Club. Most importantly he fell in love with playing guitar. Of all his hobbies, he loved his guitar the most and it stayed with him all of his life.

In high school, Mario’s interest in academics dwindled and was replaced by cars, motorcycles, and girls! He graduated from High School and enrolled in the Psychiatric Technician Program at Saddleback College. He then worked at the Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa, California. He also worked in a variety of Charter Hospitals, and other drug and rehab hospitals, where he excelled and often became the charge nurse. Of all his jobs, he always shared that his favorite position was working with the developmentally disabled children and adults at Fairview. He had an extra tender heart for this special population.

In his 30s, the stress of working with these special patients took its toll on Mario, ushering in a number of physical and mental health conditions, and he became medically disabled.

He spent his 30s trying every doctor, every supplement, and every treatment, to no avail. His world became smaller, as he had no more social life and many health needs. When he entered his 40s his health declined rapidly. At the age of 45 he moved into a board and care home for people his age. There he was able to form many relationships and friendships. He was under a doctor’s care and he was well taken care of. But on November 23 in the evening, he went to the local ER because he didn’t feel right. However, all bloodwork and imaging came back clean and he was being prepared for discharge. The nurses say that all of a sudden he stopped talking and they knew something was wrong. He was not breathing and his heart was not beating. The doctors and nurses worked on him for 45 minutes but were unable to restart his heart. Mario had stepped from this world to his heavenly home, where he was received by Jesus Christ and many loving family members. The date was November 24^th, 2024. He was 46 years old.

Mario is survived by his father, mother, and sister, who will love and cherish his memory, and will miss him until they see him again in eternity.