Darlene Joan Casciano, 82, of Traverse City passed away, Sunday, June 18, 2017 at Orchard Creek Supportive Care in Traverse City.

Darlene was born on Friday, September 28, 1934 to the late Louis and Olive (Dicer) Hastings in Port Huron, MI. She married Daniel Casciano, Jr. on Saturday, September 22, 1956 in Flint.

As a young woman, Darlene was employed by Michigan Bell Telephone as an operator on the switchboard and then became a training instructor for other operators. After she married, she dedicated herself to her husband and children. Darlene was very organized and took great pride in the home she made for her family. She had three sons she loved dearly, and she treasured the women they married as if they were her own. She was a passionate grandmother, and did her best to spoil each of her eight grandchildren! Darlene attended and supported all of the many activities her children and grandchildren were involved in over the years. She loved Disney and she and Dan were members of the Disney Vacation Club. They thoroughly enjoyed having their children and grandchildren visit them in Orlando, and considered these visits some of the best times of their lives. Darlene will be remembered for her selfless dedication to her family, her special Italian recipes and her active and supportive presence in the family business. She was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church and the Traverse City Golf and County Club where she enjoyed playing golf. Darlene was also a prolific poet, writing poems over the years that reflected the things that were on her mind and important to her at the time, sometimes even enlisting the help of her grandchildren.
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She is survived by her husband Daniel Casciano, Jr. of Traverse City; her sons Michael (Kim) Casciano, Chris (Nancy) Casciano and Daniel (Tamara) Casciano, III; her beloved grandchildren, Kristie (Jonathan) Tomaso, Anthony (Kari), Collin, Blane, Kayla, Olivia (Evan) Wegener, Benjamin and Jacob. Also surviving is her brother Robert (Marion) Hastings of Worchester, MA. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Duane Hastings and sister Donna Resseguie.

Visitation for Darlene will take place Thursday, June 22 from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday, June 23 at St. Francis Catholic Church with The Rev. Father Kenneth Stachnik presiding. Interment will take place at the Oakwood Catholic Diocesan Columbarium in a family service at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate that memorial contributions be directed to Parkinson's Network North, P.O. Box 5734, Traverse City, MI 49696-5734.