Abel Castro, a familiar face in Malibu as the co-owner of Lily’s Café, died Friday morning in Oxnard from cancer. He was 47.
Castro was born on Aug. 12, 1961 in El Salvador. He moved to Los Angeles at age 19 and attended college while working evenings at a bakery. Castro also worked in construction, as an electrician, as a computer technician and as a teacher at a European-style bakery.
Castro married Lily in 1987 and decided to pursue his dream of opening his own business, initially a carpet cleaning business. In 1989, his daughter Lindsi was born. A year later, Lily and Abel purchased the Donut Shop on Point Dume, which soon became the famous Lily’s Café. The team of Lily, Abel and Lindsi created an atmosphere where patrons of the small café became an extended Malibu family.
Castro enjoyed coaching his daughter in soccer, dancing, listening to music and spending time with his friends and family.
A celebration of Castro’s life will take place at Our Lady of Malibu Church at 11 a.m. on Monday. Following the service, there will be a memorial in his honor.