Jane Marie Castagna

Jane (DiMaggio) Castagna was born on Payne Avenue in St. Paul, MN, but lived most of her life in Madison, WI. She passed away in Maplewood, MN at the end of her 97th Birthday.

Jane, or Jennie, spent most of her life caring for others, including her brother, nephews and nieces, husband, daughters, and three grandchildren. She was over-joyed that all three grandchildren left Minnesota to attend College in Madison, giving her an extra opportunity to spoil them. She also cared for her parents as they grew older. Her care extended beyond family as she ran a home daycare in Madison over several decades. She enjoyed cooking for family and friends, whether it was making spaghetti and meatballs, vegetables from the garden, or mac and cheese for the kids she cared for at her house. Of course, she enjoyed eating out even more -- shout outs to Parkway, Olive Garden, and Cup & Cone.

Jane was known for her kindness and friendly nature, as well as her strong faith in God. Many people felt welcomed by her smile and enjoyed her sense of humor. She was very generous, except at the Casino where she was known to ask her daughters to “dump your purse” if the slots were not paying well. If she was a winner, she graciously paid for lunch and shared some with the Saints.

Jane was married to Peter Castagna for over 66 years, until Pete’s death in 2019. They were very close and did almost everything together. Many referred to them as “Lucy and Desi” due to their frequent disagreements – their love language was arguing. Over these past 6 years Jane often commented that she missed fighting with Pete. Jane is survived by her daughters Francie (Mark) Stasson and Rosalie (Todd) Standbrook; grandchildren Peter (Emily) Standbrook, Gabriella Stasson (Abdul Alaklabi), and Luke Standbrook; great-granddaughters Nell and Amira; and her brother Sam (Beverly) DiMaggio. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, and her fish named Red. 

In addition to her husband Peter Castagna, she was preceded in death by her parents Rosalia and Steve DiMaggio, brothers Al, Joe, and Chuck, and sisters Vivian, Patricia and Mary.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE CATHOLIC CHURCH,401 S Owen Drive, Madison. A visitation will be held at the church, starting at 10 a.m. Burial at Resurrection Cemetery, Madison. Memorials preferred to Porchlight, a Madison nonprofit that strives to eliminate homelessness (https://www.porchlightinc.org/ ).