Colin Bernard Castello

Colin Bernard Castello entered this world on March 6, 1987, three minutes before his twin brother, Max, and the day before Nathan's ninth birthday, his older brother. Tom and Brenda Castello are in awe of their three sons and the blessings that flowed from their sons' lives. Despite the newfound space and passage of time, the unique twin bond between Colin and Max remains unbroken and undefeated. The newfound heavenly bond between Colin and Nathan affords the Castello Family the ability to accept God's grace and its inherent peace and hope.

Colin lived his life by his chosen principles and beliefs that were woven throughout the fabric of his life. Family, friends and faith were his priorities. Family was everything to Colin by his own frequent admission. He lovingly wrote in cards and thank you notes to his mom and dad that he loved them "something fierce." To be the recipient of Colin's fierce love, as a parent, was in and of itself one of the greatest blessings in life. From toddlers to teens, the band of three brothers played, sometimes with antics against each other, engaged in mischief giving rise to grounding, and skateboarded in the neighborhood arroyos and skate parks. For 20 years, boating, waterskiing, knee boarding, jumping wakes on wave runners, and camping at Elephant Butte or Conchas Lakes were the Castello Family life.

As a young boy and teenager, Colin began actively to develop his relationship with God, fulfilling Matthew 6:33. This passage was framed and displayed on his living room end table as an adult. At 15, Colin became active in Young Life, a Christian youth organization. He journaled during a Young Life camping trip that he thought God "would rise to the top of his life if he spent more time alone with Him in the mountains or such places." By 19, Colin chose to be baptized at Sagebrush Community Church as a public profession of his faith in addition to his baptism as an infant in the Lutheran faith. Two weeks later he travelled with a Christian ministry to a rugged and remote mountain village in Lijiang, China along the Yangzi River to deliver bibles to Chinese Christians. Later he helped to build a home with Habitat for Humanity in Mexico. In recent years, he wore his cross 24 hours a day to complement his exquisitely designed tattoo.

For Colin, nature and speed were a match made in heaven. Motorcycles became Colin personified from his late teens to 39 years of age with the treasured Yamaha R6 of today. Track days and frequent riding with Derek and rides with Ben or Terry to Sandia Crest or the mini-Crest were his way of "going to church" on Sundays. Dapper and most handsome in his suits, he rode with Terry in annual Distinguished Gentleman's Rides to raise funds for prostate cancer research and men's mental health. Snowboarding in Purgatory, riding the Razor side by sides in the Rio Puerco, hiking and jumping off cliffs in Jemez with David and Florida were moments of great joy. If you were a friend of Colin, you had a friend with whom you would do life. Indeed, nature and the outdoors were where Colin loved being close with God just as he journaled at a young age.

Colin's professional life began in earnest after college and a brief stint traveling the country laying turf on university and professional sports fields. Returning to Albuquerque, he chose to join his dad and brothers in furthering the family legacy of the 45-year-old PCNM Woodworks. Colin grew up in the business sanding and finishing custom cabinets as a young boy. Colin's pride for his dad and for the company's reputation is reflected in the company's website that he helped to develop and maintain. Colin valued its longtime partner and extended family, PCNM employees and the vast network of industry professionals and customers developed throughout the southwest. "Dirty hands; clean money" was Colin's favorite motto on t-shirts. Over the years, Colin, as a project manager and a vice president alongside his dad and brothers, viewed this as his only imaginable career path.

Little compared to becoming "Uncle Coly." When Max and our beloved Hannah married, Hannah became the sister he never had. When Maverick Thomas was born, the world for Colin changed forever and then changed again when Raylee Rose arrived and was the first Castello girl. Playing on the floor with Maverick and his many cars and trucks for hours, carrying Raylee on his shoulders and helping her understand that it was more than fine to dig her tiny fingers into her smash birthday cake were sheer joy for him. He loved them something fierce.

The one and only true love of Colin's life entered without warning in April 2022, rocking his world: Melanie Gibson. Mel took loving something fierce to a whole new level. Colin has impeccable taste as Mel is a remarkable woman, a dedicated and loving mother of two amazing children, Lily and Levi, an accomplished nurse practitioner in neurosurgery and a believer that shared Colin's faith. Colin embraced Lily and Levi as if they were his own children. Mel filled the void in Colin's life; and he, hers. On Mel's birthday in 2025, they became engaged to be married. Mel, Lily and Levi are now held ever so tightly by the Castello Family just as Colin dreamed they all would be.

Colin was an educated, well-informed patriot. He loved his country, was a defender of its flag and values, and was humbled by the sacrifices of his grandfathers during World War II and by friends who fought for freedom in other conflicts.

Colin's life embodied the promise of Romans 8:38-39. He trusted that nothing and no one would ever separate him from God. With his last breath on April 25, 2026, Colin's next breath was face to face with Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:8. The Castellos embrace the reassurance that big brother Nathan, in all of his "Gentle Giant" glory, stood at the gates of heaven, arms opened wide, to be the first to welcome home his beloved little brother. Standing alongside would be his four grandparents, Thomas and Marilyn Castello, Bernard and Helen Schmille, uncles Steve Castello and Dennis Schmille.

Among those mourning the loss of Colin are his parents, Tom and Brenda Castello, brother Max Castello and sister-in-law Hannah, nephew Maverick Thomas, niece Raylee Rose, Chuck Fuhrman, sister-in-law Kristi Castello, aunt Linda Cook, Teresa Castello, and many cousins loved by Colin: Larissa Schmille, Danette Koehl and husband Nick, Rick Schmille and wife Judy, Garrett Schmille and wife Jessie, Derek Schmille and wife Alexandra, Pam Schmille, Seth Schmille, Randy Schmille and wife Betty, Natalie Schmille, Marianne Murphy and husband Joe, Bryan Murphy and wife Madison, and Hailey Escandon and husband Niko.

The Castellos wish to express their profound gratitude for the outpouring of love and support of our family and friends. You sustain us during this difficult time of unfathomable loss.

The Celebration of Life for Colin will be Friday, May 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Mountainside Church of Christ, 12300 Indian School Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112 with Garrett Schmille as officiant. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Colin's honor to his favorite organizations: T2T.org, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Mexico, or American Diabetes Association.