Nelda Idona Moore Kastner

Nelda Idona Moore Kastner, 89, of Fort Belvoir, VA, passed away at home on February 17, 2024. Nelda was an accomplished lady with numerous acquired skills. Nelda, the youngest of six children, was born in Bonifay, FL on September 3, 1934, and lived in Panama City, FL until the age of 21. She graduated from Bay County High School in Panama City in 1952 where she was a good student and participated in many high school sports, including basketball, volleyball, archery, softball, tennis, and swimming. She was also on the school bowling team. After high school, she got a job at the newly renamed Naval Base in Panama City (U.S. Navy Mine Defense Laboratory, now NSWC Panama City Division). She worked in the same office building as a US Navy Engineering Duty Officer named Lt William “Bill” Kastner, where they met and fell in love. On September 10, 1955, she married LT Bill Kastner at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Panama City. Together, they moved to Worcester, MA where she and Bill started their family. In 1957, Nelda and Bill moved to Hazlet, NJ where their family increased to five children. In 1964 they made their big move to a new home in Colts Neck, NJ where their last child was born. After 27 years living in New Jersey, they moved to McLean, VA where Nelda got a job at Bloomingdales and eventually retired as an executive assistant working at USA Today. Nelda was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, raising six children that lived happy and successful lives mostly due to her devoted attention. Over the years she became an accomplished seamstress, making numerous dresses for her daughters and granddaughters, as well as showroom quality curtains and draperies for her and her family’s homes. Her real expertise was making large quilts. In addition to winning awards for her quilts, she set out to make elaborate and beautiful quilts for each one of her children. Nelda also learned to paint with oil on canvas with many of her works still hanging in her children’s homes. Nelda also enjoyed researching family genealogy and was a proud member of The Daughters of the American Revolution. Most of all, she and Bill enjoyed spending time with family, dancing and listening to big band music, and having cocktails at 5pm, which she is surely enjoying again now with Bill in heaven. Nelda Kastner was preceded in death by her husband, CAPT William Joseph Kastner, USNR, her parents, George and Ethel Moore, her sisters Mildred Moore and Alta Golden, and her brothers Comer, Wallace, and Gordon Moore. Survivors include son, Joseph Byrnes Kastner (Patricia) of Cream Ridge, NJ; daughters, Margaret Ellen Walsh (Raymond) of Spring Lake Heights, NJ and Ann Marie Kastner-Clayton of Gainesville, VA; and sons, Timothy William Kastner (Tina) of Fairfax Station, VA, David Edward Kastner of Alexandria, VA, and John Robert Kastner (Ji-Eun) of Vienna, VA. She also leaves behind 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial service and burial will be scheduled at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery where she will be laid to rest with her husband.

Tributes

Nelda Idona Moore Kastner

February 17, 2024