Hattie Mae Castell

Hattie Mae Triplett was born to Obediah and Ethel Triplett at 3:00am on June 27, 1933 in Wakulla County, Florida. Hattie came to know Jesus as her Savior at an early age. She was a member of Thessalonia Missionary Baptist Church in Hyde Park, Florida. Hattie attended elementary school at the school house at Thessalonia Missionary Baptist Church. She graduated from Shadesville High School. She played on the girls’ basketball team. Hattie attended Florida A and M University in Tallahassee, Florida, where she met her late husband, Tim Castell, Sr. Hattie and Tim were married in 1958. Hattie ultimately completed cosmetology school and became a hairdresser in Washington Shores when she and Tim moved to Orlando, Florida in 1959. Hattie became a member of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville, Florida in 1962. Also in 1962, Tim and Hattie built a house on Kath- erine Avenue in Catalina Park in Eatonville, Florida. This remained Hattie's home for the rest of her life. In 1964, Hattie started teaching Head Start in Eatonville, Florida. She then became a teacher at Eatonville Kindergarten. Hattie taught children in the Eatonville community for almost 20 years. In 1975, Hattie and Tim opened the Tim Castell Insurance Agency, the first Black-owned sole proprietorship, independent insurance agency in Orlando. Hattie and her family operated the insurance agency on West Church Street from 1975-1995 when she and Tim retired from the insurance business. Hattiethen became a substitute teacher with the Orange County Public Schools from 1996 to 2006. After retirement from being a substitute teacher, Hattie was actively involved with the Rosemont Senior Center. She loved "Breakfast and Bowling" on Mondays. She had her own custom made purple bowling ball and her highest score was 130 just a couple of years ago. Hattie loved to exercise with the Senior Group and Mr. Shamu on Wednesdays, followed by lunch and bingo or Bid Whist. On Fridays, she loved breakfast and shopping at Walmart with the seniors and riding around in the senior bus. Hattie loved to call her friends and family and to encourage folks daily. She sent "Thinking of You" greeting cards all over the country to encourage and lift up family, friends and people she met along the way. She had dinner with her family every Sunday and she was still cooking great food and driving around in her car until she became ill a couple of months ago. Hattie's husband, Tim, passed away in 2016. Hattie's parents and her eight siblings, Frederick, Jose, Reuben, Mizell, Ossie Lee, Eleanor Jean, Ervin "Bo" and Lee Esther preceded her in death. Hattie is greatly missed and survived by her CHILDREN: Kelvin, Gaye, Nina, Tim, Jr. and his wife, Daphne; her three GRANDCHILDREN, Alexandra and her husband, Tyler, Adrianna and Brian and his wife, Becca; her NIECES and NEPHEWS, Ervin, Laverne, Mizell, Fred, Denise, Sabrina, Sandra, Eric, Yolanda Sheree, Anthony, James, Vernon, Kirk, Bonita, and Yvette; and many grand-nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends.

Tributes

Hattie Mae Castell

July 27, 1933 - November 3, 2023