New Castle News
Thomas P. Costa, 72, of 328 Shaw St. died the night of March 17, 2007, in Jameson Hospital.
Born April 30, 1934, in New Castle, he was a son of the late John P. and Rose Marie Glorioso Costa.
He married the former Patty Winkler on Oct. 29, 1955. She survives.
Tom retired in 1989 from the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s Office as administrative assistant. Before that, he worked for many years as assistant superintendent for the Lawrence County office of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
He was currently a state committeeman for the Democratic party.
A Navy veteran, he served in the Korean War. He was a member and former secretary of the St. Lucy Club in Hillsville, People Concerned for the Unborn Child, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and a fourth-degree member of Knights of Columbus Council 512.
In his earlier years, he was an avid duck pin bowler.
Tom was a member of St. Vitus Church, and a member and past president of the Holy Name Society, which named him Man of the Year in 1994. He was altar server and an usher, and sang in the men’s choir.
In addition to his wife, survivors include two daughters and a son-in-law, Rosalie and Jack Haybarger, and Mary G. Costa-Kelly, all of New Castle; four sons, Carmen Costa and his wife, Diane, of Verona, Pa., Joe Costa and his former wife, Cindy, of New Castle, Peter Costa and his wife, Mary Louise, of Levittown, Pa., and John “Jack” Costa and his wife, Diane, of Cleveland; a brother, Samuel Costa of New Castle; four sisters, Louise Benincase, Lucy Habib and Rose Marie Conti, all of New Castle, and Theresa Simonetta of Stanton, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Carmen Costa, Joseph Costa and John Costa; and a sister, Lena Leymarie.
Tom was the 101st classmate to walk down the aisle at graduation.
After his name in the Yearbook, it reads: "Such mischievous wit. Shop football 10."
By John K. Manna
New Castle News
Thomas P. Costa was a longtime fixture in the Lawrence County Democratic Party.
He was a candidate for New Castle City Council in the May primary, but he is most remembered by friends for his tireless efforts in working for the Democratic party.
He was currently a Democratic state committeeman, an elected position that he had held for several years.
“Tom was actually the number two man in the party for as long as I can remember,” said Richard Christofer, director of the New Castle Sanitation Authority.
The number one man was county chairman Peter A. Vessella, who died Feb. 27.
“These are big losses for the Democratic party,” Christofer noted.
Since Vessella’s death, Costa had set a meeting for Saturday to elect a new chairman.
Christofer said Costa probably had been to more statewide functions and had as many state contacts over the past 30 years as anyone in the county.
“He was a staple of the Democratic party. And it’s a great loss.”
Richard “Doc” Borrelli, who had been treasurer of the county Democratic party for several years, said, “He was like Pete’s right-hand man. They worked great together.”
“I really feel bad about this.”
Borrelli said that when he was in business, Costa often helped him.
“He always helped everybody. That’s the way Tommy was.”
