James A. Castonia

South Portland – James A. Castonia, 71, passed away in the arms of his loving wife, Lisa, after a yearlong hospital stay at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. It was their 27th wedding anniversary and the first day of Spring.

Jim and Lisa’s journey started in March 2025 when Jim underwent surgery for an LVAD, a lifesaving device to treat his heart failure. Sadly, his case was extremely complicated and demanded that his team think even further outside the box. The skilled team at BWH is too many to name but Jim and Lisa are grateful for their care and tender support. Music filled Jim’s room and soul ‘round the clock, and the team enjoyed it as well. Lisa poured every ounce of herself into Jim’s care, becoming a fierce advocate for his recovery. Lisa received invaluable support from HeartBrothers Foundation and Hospitality Homes; she found herself a Mainer in Boston and strangers that Lisa met along the way became lifelong friends.

Jim was born in Lubec on April 29, 1954, the son of the late George and Doris Castonia. He loved returning Downeast. He was a graduate of Deering High School and spent many years as a medical photographer at the Osteopathic Hospital, Portland, Maine. Before he found his place at the Osteopathic, he spent several years with his favorite Aunt Tootie experiencing life and college in Boston.

His love for art and photography led Jim and Lisa to open Grapheteria Custom Framing in 1991 in Portland, Maine. They lived and worked side by side for nearly 35 years. Grapheteria’s work graces the homes and spaces of many clients near and far. His specialty was photo restoration and people were in awe of his wizardly skills. During the year Jim and Lisa were at Brigham, their sole employee of 20 plus years, Michelle, kept the doors open. Jim and Lisa always planned on coming back together. With the help of loyal customers, Lisa and Michelle will continue Grapheteria’s legacy.

While Jim physically walked the Earth, he found himself rooted in the Spiritual World. Parapsychology and Metaphysics became the foundation of Jim’s life. His philosophy was that everyone has a higher aspect of themself and it will speak to you – you just need to listen. Jim often said, “my job here on this Earth is to help people get from point A to point B”. Many people were recipients of his insight and guidance through Tarot readings. He enjoyed working with fallen branches and driftwood to create talismans and scepters.

Jim and Lisa were blessed to travel to National Parks, the Caribbean and many European locations. They fell in love with Ireland and Scotland and of course they loved their ‘staycations’ in Maine. In recent years, Jim felt honored to share the quiet beauty of Downeast Maine with his closest friends. Epic long weekends were filled with music, great food, laughter and many games of cribbage. Jim’s cribbage nickname was “The Oracle” because he was that good!

Jim will be profoundly missed by his wife, Lisa; and cat, Lola. He is survived by brother, Peter Castonia and wife Nancy and their son Jason; sister, Cathy Cook and husband Bob and their daughters Melissa and Elizabeth; sister-in-law, Tammy Auger and her son James; father-in-law, Bruce Peters; and several great nieces and nephews. Jim formed many forever friendships in life and valued each of them. All will miss his gentle spirit.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be held on May 30, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with a service at 4:00 p.m., at the Conroy-Tully Walker Cremation, Funeral & Gathering Center, 300 Allen Avenue, Portland, Maine. A video tribute will be forthcoming on this website. In lieu of flowers please consider contributing or sharing the GoFundMe page to offset costs incurred by Jim’s medical care:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jims-wife-navigate-life-after-his-passing