Friends, Community Remember Stony Brook Student With Funeral Services Set: 'She Would Bring Light'

MASSAPEQUA, NY — The funeral services for 25-year-old Stony Brook Geology Ph.D. student Victoria Castle have been scheduled, and the webpage in her memory is already flooded with photos and stories from those who knew her.

Castle died Monday night; her brother-in-law, Joseph Horner, is being charged with murder in connection with her death.

Visitation has been scheduled for Castle Tuesday, July 7, at James Funeral Home in Massapequa. There will be two visitation sessions: one from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and another from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Castle was a Stony Brook University student, pursuing a Ph.D. in the school’s geology department. In an interview with Newsday this week, her mentor, assistant professor Marine Frouin, said Castle was “really our ray of sunshine.”

“She would bring light everywhere she would go,” Frouin told Newsday. “She was something very special.”

An obituaries page for Castle already featured several stories from old friends and acquaintances Thursday morning, with people remembering the Massapequa resident as a friend who skipped prom last-minute to see a metal show, a classmate who made challenging college courses easier, a “rock” and a “light.

"I’m so so sorry," one well-wisher wrote. "You were such a light and you inspired me to keep going on days when I questioned whether I would make it through what was my first semester in college in 2021. Thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t even think about tomorrow."

"You had a drastic impact on my life and the enjoyment I found in it," another friend wrote. "I’m sure I am not alone In that feeling. You left a lasting impression on everyone around you. May you Rest in Peace."

To read Newsday's full interview with Marine Frouin, click here.