James Urban Costello passed away on December 3, 2023, at home in Keizer, OR. He is survived by his children, Percy and Rebecca Costello; sisters Christine (Robert Ventura Sr.) Ventura, Joan Waite; and a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Urban and Edith Costello, and his sister, Rosemary Miller.
Born October 23, 1951, in Aurora, CO, to a military family, James also lived in Seattle before they settled down in 1961 in Long Beach, CA. He served six years in the U.S. Navy, seeing active duty in Vietnam aboard the Carrier U.S.S. Ticonderoga. After leaving the Navy, James pursued his higher education at CSULB, being the first in his family to graduate college (master’s degree in English).
He began his teaching career in 1981 at St. Anthony’s High School and Cerritos High School in Southern California before landing at Paso Robles High School in Paso Robles, CA, in 1989. James spent the next 22 years teaching and raising his family there, retiring in 2011. He spent his retirement pursuing many small, beloved hobbies and routines. He eventually moved to the East Coast in 2017, where he spent a couple of years each in South Carolina and Florida. James made the move back to the West Coast to be nearer to his children five months before his passing. He was a member of AA for 47 years, a member of MENSA, a lifelong master of trivia, and an avid geocacher in his retirement. He will be sorely missed by family and countless friends and colleagues.
A private celebration of life will be held in Paso Robles, CA, on April 20 and in Salem, Oregon, on May 4.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your favorite public radio station.
