Republican former Chief Justice of Pennsylvania and Philly District Attorney Ronald D. Castille has died

Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille, 82, a wounded Vietnam veteran who was elected Philadelphia district attorney as a Republican and rose to the top position on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, died Wednesday, Nov. 4.

After losing a leg to gunfire in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Chief Justice Castille earned a law degree. He won the district attorney’s race in 1985, surprising people who said a Republican couldn’t pull it off. He was chief justice from 2008 to 2014, gaining a reputation for fairness and nonpartisanship.

Democratic Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd said her predecessor, who served from 2008 to 2014, has had a lasting impact on the commonwealth.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of former Chief Justice Ron Castille, whose life was defined by an extraordinary commitment to service, duty and the pursuit of justice,” Chief Justice Todd said.

Chief Justice Castille was born in Miami, graduated from Auburn College in 1966, and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1965, according to his obituary.

On his 23rd birthday in 1967, Chief Justice Castille lost his right leg to heavy machine-gun fire in Vietnam and was medically discharged from the Marines after receiving a Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V,” two Purple Hearts, and other honors.

Chief Justice Castille, who used crutches for the rest of his life, completed law school at the University of Virginia while recovering from his injuries at Philadelphia Naval Hospital. He joined the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office under Republican District Attorney Arlen Specter, where he worked for 14 years.

In 1985, he was elected district attorney, making him the first Republican to win a citywide office since 1969.

Chief Justice Castille was an assistant district attorney when former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell took over as attorney general in 1978, Rendell said on Friday. Rendell said he put him in charge of the homicide division, where he did “great work.”

Chief Justice Castille took it in stride when he lost a mayoral primary to Frank Rizzo in 1991, said Rendell, who won the general election that year. Instead, he was elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

As chief justice, Castille set a tone of fairness, Rendell said.

“He understood his role,” Rendell said. “He knew he had to set the tone for the court. He was a charismatic guy, but he knew when to tone it down.”

Rendell said he was impressed at how Chief Justice Castille overcame his wartime injuries, recovered from setbacks, and always seemed to be in good spirits. He learned to ski, Rendell said, and was a golfer and boater.

“Personally, he was the most resilient guy I ever met,” Rendell said.

Chief Justice Todd noted that Chief Justice Castille was “influential in developing law under the Pennsylvania Constitution, authoring important cases involving freedom of expression, the Environmental Rights Amendment, reapportionment and redistricting, criminal procedure, excessive fines, and the separation of powers.”

He also led the courts through lean economic times, making sure courts stayed open despite budget issues, she said. In 2013, Chief Justice Castille set up the Elder Law Task Force focused on legal issues affecting older Pennsylvanians.

“Chief Justice Castille left a substantial judicial legacy, authoring more than four hundred majority opinions touching upon virtually every area of law,” she said.

As Castille rose in prominence, Chief Justice Todd noted, he often mentioned the Marines he knew who died in Vietnam, and in particular Angel Mendez, a platoon sergeant who he credited with saving his life and who was mortally wounded during the same battle.

“To some extent, I live my life for them, and my accomplishments are their accomplishments,” Chief Justice Castille said in 2008, when he was sworn in as chief justice. He later helped establish the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Society Hill near Penn’s Landing.

At the same 2008 ceremony, Castille emphasized the need for the justices’ nonpartisanship and the courts’ independence from the two other branches of government. As condolences and memorials poured in online, some people recounted this dedication to nonpartisanship.

“When people claim that jurists just decide cases in a way that tracks their personal political party affiliation and professional background, I remind them about Chief Justice Castille,” wrote Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jordan Yeager.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said Chief Justice Castille dedicated his life to serving others, first in the military, and then as a district attorney and judge.

“Our Commonwealth and our country are better off because of his sacrifice and commitment to justice,” Shapiro said. “Lori and I are holding Chief Justice Castille’s family in our hearts today. May his memory forever be a blessing.”

He is survived by his wife, Susan Kilgus Castille, and his family.

Information on his memorial service was not immediately available.