Constance E. Costello

Constance "Connie" Eileen Costello passed away in her sleep on September 29, 2025. Connie was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 17, 1943, to Thomas Edward and Mary Catherine McGuan as the second child, younger sister to Thomas and older sister to Terry.
In the summer of 1959, Connie met Jack (John P. Costello II) on the Chicago shores of Lake Michigan at Rainbow Beach. Connie was a student at Mercy High School, and Jack was heading out that fall to Bullis School on his way to entering the U.S. Naval Academy, so theirs was a long distance relationship of letters, calls, and short visits. They married in 1964 and moved to Pensacola, Florida, for Jack's Naval aviation training.
They continued their Navy adventure and their family grew with the addition of Laura, Sean and Casey, while living in Florida, California, Maryland, and Virginia, before settling in 1979 in Great Falls, Virginia, just up the Potomac River from Washington, DC. Connie was gifted and resourceful in creating welcoming homes for the young family over the early years of deployment along the coasts. With the move to Great Falls, Connie and Jack enjoyed putting down roots and adding to their lasting home which grew to host large family gatherings, remembered fondly for Connie's signature meals. Connie encouraged her children to try all sorts of activities, supporting them in each. After working a variety of jobs, she became a kitchen and bath designer – she was always happiest in creative pursuits. Following retirement, with an empty nest, they moved with Jack's second career to Australia for a few years, allowing them more adventure and travel.
Connie always led with her compassion and a quick, oftentimes irreverent, sense of humor. She loved to read and care for her children, grandchildren, and nieces. She and Jack worked as a team, whether in hosting dinners or making plans for date night or travel with friends. Connie and Jack visited their grandaughters Ryan, Emma Claire and Adeleine in North Carolina several times a year to spend leisurely time attending birthday parties, plays, and school and athletic events. The girls in turn knew Nana and Granpa's home well from trips to Great Falls for holiday celebrations and school breaks. Nana encouraged creative messes in the house, with art supplies and craft materials always on hand.
For many years, until poor health intruded, Connie was a member of a painting studio, Artists on the Green, in Great Falls, where she and her studio mates enjoyed the community of the studio as they created their artworks and collaborated to bring in talented teachers. Connie was a gifted and dedicated painter, specializing in still life, the results of which she shared with family and friends. She also read constantly, passing along works of fiction and nonfiction and looking forward to her monthly book group. Connie inspired her children and grandchildren to laugh, create, think independently, and work hard, while also emphasizing the importance of being grounded, caring for family, and supporting each other. Her wit, creativity and generous spirit will be missed.
Connie's funeral mass will be held at St. Thomas à Becket Catholic Church on Monday, November 3 at 11:00 am. She is preceded in death by her husband John "Jack" P. Costello II, and is survived by her three children: Laura Louise, Sean Patrick, and Casey Edward; son-in-law Clement Geitner; granddaughters Ryan Louise, Emma Claire, and Adeleine Rose Geitner; sister-in-law Susan Costello Dunne; and nieces Julie Anne Dunne, Jennifer Sue Coleman, Janine Elizabeth Dunne, and Colleen Marie Lamond. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Vietnam Veterans of America.