Donald Fino Caselli

Donald Fino Caselli passed away at his home on July 18, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. He faced his final illness exactly as he lived: with practical humor and a total lack of pretense. When diagnosed with COPD, he characteristically attributed it to his "50+ years as a dedicated smoker," keeping his signature wit intact until the very end. Born on August 23, 1951, in East St. Louis, Illinois, he was the son of the late Searfino and Ethel (nee Lauth/Krug) Caselli. Fino was a 1969 graduate of Collinsville High School and later attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In late 1970, with a bit of encouragement from Uncle Sam, he joined the United States Army Reserves. While military service was never his original plan, it turned into an experience that provided a lifetime of hilarious anecdotes. In 1977, Fino married Beth Schoppet. They were blessed with three wonderful daughters; Dayna Chiapelli (Josef) of Edwardsville, IL, Kristin Caselli of Collinsville, IL, and Jana Hildebrand (Justin) of Creve Coeur, MO. He was a proud grandfather to Kylie Wallace (Dalton) of Troy, IL, and Kaden Chiapelli of Edwardsville, IL, and a doting great-grandfather "Nonno" to Marley Kate Wallace. While his dream job would have been to manage the St. Louis Cardinals, he spent most of his professional career in sales. He owned and operated MidAmerican Supply Company and later retired from Dillard's at St. Clair Square in 2015. Sports were a cornerstone of Fino’s life. He was naturally athletic and a known authority on all things sports related. As a loyal supporter of the Cardinals, Blues, and Fighting Illini, he never missed a chance to watch a game or check a score. He fondly remembered his own days as a young athlete in the Tomahawk Baseball League and on the ‘67, '68 and ’69 Collinsville Kahok Basketball teams. His dedication to youth sports included serving as president of the Collinsville Soccer Association and coaching and managing his daughters' teams over the years. Fino was known for his easy-going personality, intelligence, sharp wit, generosity, and sense of humor. He loved organizing social events, bringing people together, and was considered the life of every party. Some of his favorite pastimes were trivia nights with his family and weekly meetups with his cronies at The 5th Quarter and Lonnie's Liquor. He is survived by his wife; his daughters and their families; his brother, Dave Caselli (Brenda); cousin, Ledy VanKavage (Cliff Froehlich); brother-in-law, Alan Schoppet; nieces and nephew, Carrie Comincioli, Emily Zeller, John Caselli, and Angie Duhr; and five great-nieces and great-nephews. An open house visitation will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM in The Barrel Room at The Old Herald Brewery & Distillery, 115 E. Clay St., Collinsville, IL.