Castro carrying late father's lessons into college career at Wisconsin

Tony Castro grew up in West St. Paul, Minnesota, as the son of Mexican immigrants. He loved hockey. Most kids in the neighborhood did. But Tony was told by a family member that he’d never earn a living in the game. Reluctantly, he listened. While still a teenager in the 1970s, he started working at an auto body shop that became his own: Castro’s Collision Center on Robert Street in St. Paul.

Tony and his wife, Joette, had five children. In raising a new generation, Tony never repeated the advice he’d been given about the impracticality of a career in hockey. Where others saw limitations, he sought possibilities. He believed. His kids did, too.

This fall, the youngest of them, Anton, begins his career at the University of Wisconsin, one of the most storied programs in college hockey. He’ll bring with him the work ethic and empathy he learned from Tony, who showed that running a successful business could coexist with helping customers struggling to pay for necessary repairs.

“The hardest worker I’ve ever met,” Anton said. “He was at work at 5, 6 a.m. I wouldn’t see him until 9, 10 p.m. He was always working. A body shop is a pretty blue-collar business, especially on the west side . . .

“He loved it. Even on hockey trips, he was on the phone every second, calling people, setting up appointments, talking about insurance policies.”

Anton’s career in Madison is the byproduct of his own skill at stopping pucks and his parents’ sacrifices that made his development possible.

For Anton, the only heartache is that his father won’t be in the stands to enjoy his Badgers career. Tony Castro died on April 25, 2021 of complications from COVID-19. He was 66.

“I talked to my dad right before they put him in a coma,” Anton said. “He just told me, ‘I love you. I want you to focus on yourself right now. If something happens, I’ll always protect you.’

“Being 18, you have a lot of emotions. You question why. I was going through a lot, for sure. I thought, for me, I was super strong during it. A lot of people might not necessarily have even known what I was going through. I kind of stayed in my lane. My siblings helped a lot . . .

“When it happened, it was obviously really sad for all of us, just because he had such a big impact on all of us. He took care of all of us. He [had] our back. But as life goes, you have to run through it and face adversity.”

For Anton, the anguish over his father’s passing was made worse by the isolation he felt. He spent the 2020-21 season with the Northeast Generals of the North American Hockey League. The realities of the pandemic made it impossible for Anton to be with his family during Tony’s final days.

Anton was with the Generals at their base in Canton, Massachusetts when his father died. He was able to attend the funeral 10 days later at the Church of the Assumption in St. Paul. The date of the service was May 5.

Cinco de Mayo.

“We all tried to make it less sad of a funeral,” Anton said. “We know my dad wouldn’t want that. He’d want us to remember the good parts.”

Tony was deeply proud of his Mexican heritage. He spoke fluent Spanish. Many workers at the collision center did, too. Tony made it a priority to hire Hispanic Americans and help their families get started in a new community. Their stories reminded Tony of his own, after his parents left their hometown of Monterrey, Mexico, in search of prosperity in the U.S.

At Tony’s funeral, friends and family members shared stories about his selflessness, his occasional pranks, and his warmth that made all feel welcome.

Anton played through his heartache.

“Hockey was a big [outlet] for me, to clear my mind,” Anton said. “I skated two days after his funeral. It was a good coping mechanism for me, to be present and keep my mind off things. I trained really hard in the summer. I skated a lot with my goalie coach and my friends.”

Anton’s efforts resulted in a promotion to the USHL’s Fargo Force during the 2021-22 season. He went on to play 75 games for the Force over three seasons, culminating with a Clark Cup in May.

“Fargo is an unbelievable spot,” he said. “They have a great culture there, great coaches, great facility. I think it’s the best junior team in America. I loved it there.”

Castro catches left, and his right arm displays the story of his family through a series of tattoos. He has St. Michael the Archangel near his elbow, in honor of his own middle name and his father’s role as protector of the Castro family. A guardian angel is shown watching over Joette. Feathers have fallen from the wing, to represent the struggles she has endured, but the angel — like Joette — remains steadfast.

Near the top of Anton’s shoulder, a stairway leads to the gates of heaven, with his grandparents and aunt welcoming his father there.

While Tony won’t be among the thousands of fans attending each game at the Kohl Center, his legacy will impact his son’s college hockey experience — and beyond. Anton is interested in majoring in business or personal finance. He wants to open his own business one day.

Just like his dad.

“He really tried to give me every opportunity to be the best I could be, because my grandparents didn’t really support him playing hockey as much,” Castro said. “He would always [say], ‘I wish I had what you could have.’ Make sure you’re taking advantage of it and having fun.”