In the early 1940s, Jim Carasella was an usher at the Manos Theater in Jeannette. One day, he spotted the glamorous Royal Hawaiian Hotel in the background of a film. He dreamed of making it there in person. On a 2005 trip to Hawaii with his family for an American Legion Convention, that dream came true. “It took him 60 years to get there,” said his daughter, Georgia Martin.

James Anthony Carasella Sr. of Jeannette died Thursday, Oct. 4. He was 94. Born March 28, 1924, in Rillton, he was a son of Giovanni Battista Carasella and Giacinta Dibenedetto Carasella. “Some of his favorite words were ‘banquet, picnic, celebration,’” Martin said of her father, who always made it his mission to take care of others and to bring people together. Mr. Carasella served during World War II as an Army staff sergeant with the 258th Combat Engineers in Europe. He served in three major campaigns and was awarded two battle stars.