Patsy Costello

Patsy Elisabeth Newman Costello, 82, died peacefully on July 8, 2023 in Highland. A Hyde Park native, Patsy was born August 22, 1940, at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie to Manford Alton Newman and Margaret Andros Newman. Patsy had lived in the same house all of her life on Main Street. She attended Hyde Park schools and graduated from the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in 1958. She also graduated from Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School in Providence, Rhode Island and upon graduation was hired by IBM in Poughkeepsie and retired in 1993.
On November 24, 1962, she married Arthur James Costello, Sr., from Garrison, NY who she met at IBM. They were married at Holy Trinity Church in Poughkeepsie and had four children. She retired from IBM in 1993 and in 1996 opened a guest house in her home, which was similar to what her mother had in the 1950's. She welcomed guests from all over the world!
Patsy's father worked in the greenhouses for Frederick W. Vanderbilt from 1921 until 1938, until Mr. Vanderbilt passed away. Mr. Vanderbilt left Patsy's father a thousand dollars in his Will which the Newman's put towards the purchase of their home on Main Street. After Mr. Vanderbilt died and the mansion was closed, Mr. Newman later went to work for the National Park Service in the Roosevelt greenhouse. Mrs. Roosevelt always parked her car at the greenhouse when she brought visitors to the Library and Home so Mr. Newman could make her a flower arrangement or two to bring back to Val-Kill. Both of Patsy's parents were active in the F. D. Roosevelt Home Club and attended many Roosevelt Inaugurations in Albany and Washington. Her mother was the only female President of the Club. As a teenager, Patsy attended many events with her mother at Val-Kill and always admired Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt.
Patsy was the President of the Town of Hyde Park Historical Society, a position that she had held since 1998. She was on the first Board of the F. W. Vanderbilt Garden Association where she obtained from IBM a $2,000 "Fund for Community Service" grant to start the first planting in the garden that was organized in 1984 by volunteers. She was a member of Regina Coeli Church since being baptized and receiving her sacraments there. She was a member of the Katharine Gibbs Alumnae Association, was on the Board of Trustees for the Hyde Park Free Library, and a volunteer for many years at St. Francis Hospital.
Patsy had organized a few trolley trips, as well as walking tours through the historic areas of Hyde Park to point out various sites and tell about their history. She had also documented historical accounts from the records in the Historical Society Museum archives and made these pieces of history available for our future generations to enjoy. In 2006 she wrote an article for the Dutchess County Historical Society for their Yearbook on "The Roosevelt Home Club" so people would know what this organization was about – which was from her family's as well as her own experiences. The "100th Anniversary of Dutchess County Historical Society Yearbook in 2014" contains an article on her mother's family, the Andros Family. Her grandfather John Andros and grandmother Pasqualina Amedio Andros came to the US in the late 1800's. They married and had eight children and resided in Hyde Park. Mr. Andros and his four sons worked for the New York Central Railroad.
Patsy was always happy to share her knowledge about Hyde Park as she had lived the history she recalled. She was a member of ERVK Friends Committee at Val-Kill and often attended functions there to honor Mrs. Roosevelt. She could tell many stories about living in Hyde Park when Mrs. Roosevelt was considered "just another one of our neighbors." She enjoyed giving back to her community and was honored to receive the Val-Kill 2007 Friend's Candlelight Award!
Patsy was always interested in making crafts and had a weekly craft class for several of her daughters' grade school classmates. Some of them still speak of making things at the Costello house. She was always knitting, crocheting, sewing, making porcelain dolls and decorating wedding cakes; and her nephews/nieces still remember Aunt Pat making beer can hats. When visiting her two grandmothers when she was young, they taught her how to make crazy quilts, crochet without directions, and make all kinds of crafts. She belonged to the Hyde Park Girl Scouts and the Hyde Parkers' 4-H Club. Her old Girl Scout uniform is in the Hyde Park Historical Society Museum still today.
Patsy was a member of PEO International, a philanthropic educational organization where women help women to get their college degrees through scholarships and loans. She had also been the Secretary of Chapter AX in Poughkeepsie and the chairman of the STAR Scholarship for high school juniors who plan to attend college after their senior year.
She is survived by her children Anne M. Curci (SIL Louis) grandchildren Nicholas Louis Curci (DIL Emily) great grandkids Rhys and Isla, Sandy Curci and great grandkids Dylan and Shane, Tammylou Curci and great granddaughter Natalia, and Angelo Arthur Curci (DIL Alexandria) and great grandson Wyatt Angelo Curci. Her other three children are Susan B. Costello, Joan E. Costello, and Arthur James Costello, Jr. and his partner, Michael Lezer. She has several local cousins and also several in Maine.
In addition to her grandparents, parents, and husband, she was also predeceased by her sister, Irene Lillian Newman Rose, and many uncles, aunts, and cousins.
Calling hours will be from 5 to 8 PM, Thursday, July 13th at Sweet's Funeral Home, Rte. 9, Hyde Park.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 AM, Friday, July 14th at Regina Coeli Church, Rte. 9, Hyde Park.
Burial will follow in the family plot at St. Peter's Cemetery, Poughkeepsie.
Memorial donations may be made to the Hyde Park Historical Society, PO Box 182, Hyde Park, NY 12538-0182. (www.hydeparkhistoricalsociety1821.org)
To send an online condolence or for directions, please visit Patsy's obituary page at www.sweetsfuneralhome.com.