Richard Samuel Costigan Jr.

Costigan, Jr, Richard (Dick) Samuel
Richard (Dick) Samuel Costigan Jr. passed away after a long illness on November 15, 2012. He was 68.

Dick was born in Norfolk, Virginia on August 13, 1944 to Richard (Sr.) and Charlotte Costigan. He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Richard & Gloria, Chris & Letizia and three grandchildren: Eric, Emma and Andrew and by his wife Joyce Johnston. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 41 years, Linda in 2006.

Dick attended Norfolk public schools and graduated from Norview High School in 1962. He attended Old Dominion University, the College of William & Mary and the University of Michigan for advanced courses in managements and sales.

Dick had a passion for sales which started as a teenager working for his aunt in the moving and storage business. A career in sales included work with Purex, McNeil Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer. Dick spent nearly 40 years in the pharmaceutical field ranging from sales, national sales training director, and ultimately into the area of public affairs and government relations.

Dick was very active in California politics and public policy for nearly three decades. He was a passionate advocate for access to healthcare and an advisor to many non-profit health associations. He strongly believed that all people should be able to receive the best health care. He brought together many advocacy organizations in support of patients rights, which led to full disclosure legislation and other key patient protection laws.

Dick successfully added a number of life saving and life enhancing medicines onto the state Medi-Cal program, helped pass legislation and new policies to provide additional pharmaceutical benefits to Californians and served on the national and state boards of many organizations.

Dick not only advocated in the US, he and Linda spent a number of years in Australia where he started the public affairs program for Pfizer in that country as well other parts of Asia.

Dick was a believer in giving back to the community. He served on the Granite Bay Municipal Advisory Council and helped to start two significant programs in the 1980s to benefit the high schools his sons attended. Those programs continue to this day. Dick and Linda married in 1965. Throughout their married life, Dick and Linda were very active in the Catholic church, the community and Marriage Encounter. Although Dick enjoyed his professional career, his love for his family and friends were the most important to him.

On October 25, 2008, Dick married Joyce Johnston. They connected through many mutual friends and enjoyed a very happy and wonderful five years together, including traveling to Hong Kong, China and Canada.

His greatest success was his ability to make people feel very special. It only took minutes to know Dick and understand that he was a very unique person with great warmth, love and compassion.

Besides his children, grandchildren and wife, Dick is survived by his brother Robert and his wife, Judy, his sister Helen Faye Orrison, three nieces, his Uncle Irvine Hill, his mother-in-law Elsie Johnston and Joyce's three children Cindy Dutra, Marisa Lowey-Ball and Jeremy Lowey. and her two grandchildren Chris Bean and Peyton Shade.

Services will be on Wednesday, November 21, 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Sacramento.

Remembrances may be made to either: Aoki Diabetes Research Institute, 1935 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95816 www.adri.org; American Diabetes Association, 4600 Roseville Road, Suite 130 North Highlands, CA 95660.