Former Delaware Governor and U.S. Representative Mike Castle died on August 14, 2025, at age 86 at the Country House in Greenville, where he lived with his wife of 33 years, Jane DiSabatino. His death was attributed to a long illness.
Castle was among Delaware’s most successful politicians, never losing a race until his stunning upset in a 2010 primary for the U.S. Senate seat that Democrat Joe Biden held before becoming vice president. His political career spanned more than 40 years, holding nearly every major state office.
Born in Wilmington on July 2, 1939, Castle attended the Tower Hill School before earning his degree in economics from Hamilton College in 1961, where he served as vice president of his senior class. He then obtained his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1964.
After joining the law firm Connolly, Bove and Lodge, Castle served as Delaware’s deputy attorney general from 1965-66 before his election to the state’s House of Representatives. He won a seat in the Delaware senate in 1968, where he remained for eight years. In 1976, Castle returned to private law practice but was called back to public service in 1981 when he became lieutenant governor under Governor Pete du Pont.
Castle served two terms as Delaware’s governor from 1985 to 1992. As the state’s chief executive, he cut income taxes three times, balanced eight state budgets, and created thousands of jobs. He was a strong public education advocate who created the Focus on the First Sixty Months initiative, making him one of the first state leaders to acknowledge the importance of early childhood education. His budget proposals increased teachers’ pay and reduced class size to ensure Delaware could compete with other states.
His administration’s Environmental Legacy program aimed to protect and preserve forests, wetlands, and beaches, winning recognition for its foresight and impact. Castle was also instrumental in establishing the Transportation Trust Fund, which pays for major state road projects, most notably Delaware Route 1.
In 1993, Castle became Delaware’s lone representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving 18 years and earning the distinction of being the longest-serving U.S. representative in Delaware’s history. During his congressional tenure, he became a leader of centrist Republicans, earning a reputation as a fiscal conservative and social moderate.
Castle’s signature legislative achievement was sponsoring the creation of commemorative coins, including the 50 State Quarters program, the Sacagawea dollar, the Presidential Dollar coins, and the America the Beautiful Quarters programs. The quarters boosted federal revenues as they were taken out of circulation by collectors. He was dubbed “The Coinage Congressman” by the Numismatic Guaranty Company.
He also helped write and pass the No Child Left Behind legislation to improve public schools and was a co-sponsor in the successful passage of the Brady Bill, which required a five-day waiting period for gun purchases and implemented computerized instant background checks. In 2010, Castle was one of 15 Republican house members to vote in favor of repealing the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on openly gay service members.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on August 22, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church in Greenville, followed by a Celebration of Life at the Wilmington Country Club. Former President Biden, former U.S. Senator Tom Carper, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, Governor Matt Meyer, and Wilmington Mayor John Carney attended the funeral. Castle was eulogized by Carper, who traded positions with Castle following the 1992 election cycle.
Castle is survived by his wife Jane DiSabatino and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.