Philip J. Cassella

Philip J. “Phil” Cassella, 66, of Columbia, South Carolina, formerly of Fort Edward, New York, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Friday, January 17, 2025. He was born on January 9, 1959 in Herkimer, New York, to Theresa Donato Cassella and the late Philip A. Cassella.

Phil graduated from Burnt Hills High School, and then furthered his education, earning his Associate Degree from Herkimer Community College.  Phil spent most of his working life as a successful sales professional in various industries. In retirement, he enjoyed working at Kingsbury National Golf Course in Hudson Falls, NY where he formed many friendships.

Phil placed family above all else in his life and made it his mission to be as active as possible in the lives of his wife, children, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. He was thrilled to welcome his new daughter-in-law, Ellie, into the family in her marriage to his son, Philip, this past September.

Regular gatherings were an integral part of life for the family. Phil and his wife Libby planned and organized annual family and friends reunions at their home in Fort Edward, hosting over 100 people every summer for about 15 years.  He enjoyed nothing more than spending time with those he loved, sharing stories and memories of special people and moments in his life.

Phil was active in supporting his sons’ athletic interests. He coached Little League Baseball and assisted with Modified, High School and AAU Basketball during Philip’s and Nick’s youth.

Phil was a lifelong New York Yankees fan and arguably could defeat anyone that attempted to better him on Yankees’ history or statistics. While growing up, trips to Yankee games with his father, uncle, brothers and cousins were a regular routine. He carried on that tradition with Philip and Nick. The family attended many Yankee games and often visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, where Phil educated his sons on the baseball dynasty that he experienced growing up. Needless to say, the Cassellas will always be diehard Yankee fans.

Phil was also a lifelong golfer following in his father’s and uncles’ footsteps. As a teenager, he worked at golf courses in the Capital District area and once caddied in an LPGA tournament.  He enjoyed several golf trips to courses in the southeast with family and friends over the years.

A lover of cinema and music, he spent hours watching classic movies from the 30’s through the 60’s, and especially liked those starring Humphrey Bogart.  Frank Sinatra was his favorite musical artist and he could recite just about every lyric from his songs.

Those left to mourn his loss and cherish his memory include his devoted wife of 33 years, Elizabeth “Libby” Cassella; their sons: Philip E. Cassella (Ellie) and Nicholas F. Cassella; his mother: Theresa Cassella; his sisters: Catherine Cameron (Jeff) and Christine Backus (Jim); his brothers: Nick Cassella (Karen) and Tom Cassella  (Susan); his uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, great niece and great nephews.

A Memorial Service for the family will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2025 in the Chapel of Temples-Halloran Funeral Home, 5400 Bush River Road, Columbia, South Carolina, 29212. The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service.

For those unable to attend, a link to a live stream of the service and a recording will be posted to this website. A celebration of Phil’s life will be planned for later this year.