Obituary for Guido "Pete" DeAscanis Jr.
On Wednesday morning, October 26, 2022, Guido (Pete) DeAscanis, Jr. came to the end of a long battle with
cardiac amyloidosis. His wife of 47 years, Pauline (Bunny Citro) DeAscanis, was at his bedside as he
passed peacefully from this life.
Pete has been a beloved member of the New Castle community for 87 years. He graduated from St.
Peter’s High School and was a lifetime member of St. Peter the Apostle Church. Through his active
parish involvement and as an officer of the St. Anthony Society, Pete’s Catholic faith was central to how
he lived his life, which was filled with charity, generosity and humility.
After his graduation, Pete joined his family’s construction company, at the time known as Guido
DeAscanis & Sons Inc., as a carpenter by trade. Following in his father’s footsteps, Pete and his brothers
took over the company, which remained a well-known business within the City of New Castle for over 90
years and spanning three generations of the DeAscanis family.
At the center of Pete’s life was his devotion to family. He will be widely remembered for hosting at his
home large gatherings of family and friends for events throughout the year. His home was always open
to anyone who wanted to stop by at any time of day. His commitment to family also extended to his
father’s hometown of Sant’Omero, Italy, where his close relatives also mourn his passing.
The sixth of nine children of the late Guido DeAscanis, Sr. and Celesta Sterlicchi DeAscanis, he was
preceded in death by his brothers, Francis (Chick), Amadeo (Tiger) and Galileo (Leon), as well as his
sisters, Caroline Lucia and Eleanor Garniewski. He was also preceded in death by sisters-in-law, Barbara and Connie, and his brothers-in-law, Francis Lucia, William Lynch, and Robert Blakely, Sr.
Along with his wife, Pete leaves to cherish his memory a son, Guido DeAscanis III, his daughter-in-law
Deidre (Isovitsch), and his loving grandchildren Cristiano Guido and Adriana Lia, whom he adored. Also
surviving him are his sisters, Dorothy Lynch and Rose Marie Blakely; his brother, Joseph; and his sisters-in-
law, E. Gale and Patricia, as well as his brother-in-law, John Garniewski.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Mass of Christian Burial at St. Peter the Apostle R.C. Church,
521 Harmony St., New Castle, DE, on Thurs., Nov. 3, at 11am. Friends may call at Krienen Funeral Home,
101 West 6th St., New Castle, DE, on Wed., Nov. 2 from 6-8pm. Internment will take place after Mass in the
adjoining church cemetery.
Krienen Funeral Home
302.328.9300
cardiac amyloidosis. His wife of 47 years, Pauline (Bunny Citro) DeAscanis, was at his bedside as he
passed peacefully from this life.
Pete has been a beloved member of the New Castle community for 87 years. He graduated from St.
Peter’s High School and was a lifetime member of St. Peter the Apostle Church. Through his active
parish involvement and as an officer of the St. Anthony Society, Pete’s Catholic faith was central to how
he lived his life, which was filled with charity, generosity and humility.
After his graduation, Pete joined his family’s construction company, at the time known as Guido
DeAscanis & Sons Inc., as a carpenter by trade. Following in his father’s footsteps, Pete and his brothers
took over the company, which remained a well-known business within the City of New Castle for over 90
years and spanning three generations of the DeAscanis family.
At the center of Pete’s life was his devotion to family. He will be widely remembered for hosting at his
home large gatherings of family and friends for events throughout the year. His home was always open
to anyone who wanted to stop by at any time of day. His commitment to family also extended to his
father’s hometown of Sant’Omero, Italy, where his close relatives also mourn his passing.
The sixth of nine children of the late Guido DeAscanis, Sr. and Celesta Sterlicchi DeAscanis, he was
preceded in death by his brothers, Francis (Chick), Amadeo (Tiger) and Galileo (Leon), as well as his
sisters, Caroline Lucia and Eleanor Garniewski. He was also preceded in death by sisters-in-law, Barbara and Connie, and his brothers-in-law, Francis Lucia, William Lynch, and Robert Blakely, Sr.
Along with his wife, Pete leaves to cherish his memory a son, Guido DeAscanis III, his daughter-in-law
Deidre (Isovitsch), and his loving grandchildren Cristiano Guido and Adriana Lia, whom he adored. Also
surviving him are his sisters, Dorothy Lynch and Rose Marie Blakely; his brother, Joseph; and his sisters-in-
law, E. Gale and Patricia, as well as his brother-in-law, John Garniewski.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Mass of Christian Burial at St. Peter the Apostle R.C. Church,
521 Harmony St., New Castle, DE, on Thurs., Nov. 3, at 11am. Friends may call at Krienen Funeral Home,
101 West 6th St., New Castle, DE, on Wed., Nov. 2 from 6-8pm. Internment will take place after Mass in the
adjoining church cemetery.
Krienen Funeral Home
302.328.9300