Douglas Peter Costanza

Doug was born on September 13, 1938, in Santa Clara County to Frank and Linda (Dale) Costanza. He was the oldest of two children and had a younger sister, Linda. Doug’s family moved to San Francisco when he was a young boy, and there he attended elementary school. Doug grew up with a large extended Italian family and had many memories of time spent with both his paternal & maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. His grandparents only spoke Italian, so he had to learn to understand and speak the language to communicate with them…he said that he forgot most of it after they died as he no longer used it. He had many fond memories of times spent at his maternal grandparents’ cherry farm in Linden, CA. From an early age, Doug learned the value of family, and the importance of being there for each other.

Doug’s family moved to Cupertino where he attended Jr. High at Cupertino Union School. There he participated in several sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and track. He was also part of the school safety patrol. Doug attended high school at Fremont High School, where he promptly met the love of his life Cathy (Petterson) at the school bus stop when he was a freshman, and she was a sophomore. The story goes that he asked her out for a soda one day and they were together from then on. During high school the two of them spent a lot of time hanging out with their friends and going to school football games and dances together. Doug gave up playing sports when he got to high school and decided to start working to make money to buy a car instead. He got a work permit when he was just 15 and took a part time job in the afternoons as a school janitor. Doug and Cathy spoke fondly of the fun times that they had together with their friends at Fremont…many of those friendships lasted a lifetime. Doug graduated from Fremont High School in 1957.

Shortly after graduating from high school, Doug enlisted in the US Coast Guard. He served 2 years active duty at the base in Alameda, CA and four years in the reserves. Doug and Cathy were married on May 25, 1958, and in June of 1959 their first daughter, Kimberlei, was born. After his first two years in the Coast Guard, Doug opted to go into the reserves so he could take a job at Litton Industries in Redwood City. There he was trained and worked as a machinist making tools, dials, and switches for various projects. In 1963 Doug obtained an Honorable Discharge from the US Coast Guard.

After Doug left Litton Industries, he began his career at Watkins-Johnson Company at their plant in Scotts Valley, and then transferred to their plant in Palo Alto. Doug worked for years as a Draftsman there where he drew up plans/blueprints for parts to be produced for telecommunications and defenses industries. Many of the precision components that he helped design, such as mixers, frequency converters, microwave tubes, were contracted by the US Department of Defense, and some were used in the electronic warfare market and space exploration missions. He then moved up to be a designer, and lastly was promoted to Drafting/Design Manager to oversee those departments. Though this was a serious/professional, Doug was also a bit of a practical joker. His longtime friend, Don, reported that one of the first things he did when Don began working in the drafting department was to screw Don’s drafting scale to the board! This was the start of a 55-year friendship between Doug & Don. Doug’s career at WJ lasted over 30 years, and in that time, he earned the admiration, respect, and love of those that worked with and for him. He was viewed by many to be a dedicated employee who was a man of good standing that always had a smile, a good sense of humor, and helped to make the workplace enjoyable with his positive attitude.

In 1960, Doug & Cathy purchased their first home on Dorval Drive in San Jose, CA. The following year, their son, Todd, was born. In 1965, their family was complete when their youngest daughter, Jode, was born. One year later, they purchased their home on Hamilton Park Drive to better accommodate their family of five. Doug and Cathy were devoted parents to their children and worked to provide for them in every way. They were also very close with their extended families, close friends, and many of the neighbors/families on their block. They would often host barbeques in the summers and other get-togethers throughout the years with family, friends, and neighbors combined…these times were always full of joy and much laughter. Besides being a hard worker who provided for his family, Doug was also involved and supportive of the activities that his children were involved in. He was an Indian Guide leader (he and his son Todd, were Big Hawk & Little Hawk), helped with school projects like constructing model missions etc., and coached many softball teams over the years that Cathy managed, to name a few things. Doug and Cathy also helped to purchase a cabin in Markleeville, CA where many treasured memories were made over the years with their family, extended family, and friends. Road trip vacations were also something fun that Doug and Cathy did with their children…waking up them up in the night to drive long distances to see and explore places like Yosemite, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, and more. They traveled to most of the western states and Texas creating many great and lasting memories together.

In the 1980’s-1990’s, Doug and Cathy took to traveling the world. These were some of the best times for them as a couple after their children were grown. Together, they traveled to places like Hawaii, Cancun, Grand Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Greece, Italy, France, Panama Canal, several other cruises, and more! Doug really enjoyed photography and did a great job capturing all their adventures on film. On their trips, they loved meeting fellow travelers from all over the world and often they became fast friends. Many were even added to the list of hundreds of people that Doug & Cathy sent out their annual family newsletter & Christmas cards to! It was often said Doug never met a stranger, as he could easily strike up conversation and make just about anyone feel comfortable right away.

Doug and Cathy had many friends; however, none were quite as special to them as Don & Kathy West. They and their families became very close over the years, and they truly regarded each other as family. These four had many fun adventures together and they enjoyed similar interests as well. Some of Doug’s favorite times with Don were spent going to car races, car shows, and air shows. Even after both Kathy and Cathy had passed away, Doug and Don remained best friends…like brothers.

Doug and Cathy’s children and grandchildren were their greatest joys and spending time with them was always the most special for them. They were supportive of them all. In 2003, Doug and Cathy moved to Tumwater, WA to be closer to some of their family, as all three of their children moved from their hometown of San Jose…two of the three lived in western WA. They had many years of good times and family celebrations together after they moved. In 2014 Doug had to have his left leg amputated below his knee due to an infection. Sadly, Cathy passed away in Nov. of 2015, and after that, things weren’t the same for Doug. Though he still enjoyed spending time with his family, he slowly lost that spark in his eyes; he became a bit quieter overall, and never regained independent mobility. Doug had also developed mild dementia and was also showing beginning signs of Parkinson’s Disease. Despite all of that, he never complained, and with a smile on his face he would always say he was “fine.”

On Saturday, September 3, Doug, his children and their spouses, and some of his grandchildren and great grandchildren gathered at a park to celebrate his 84th birthday 10 days early. It was a wonderful day filled with joy as Doug was surrounded by his family, enjoyed a picnic lunch, and was showered with gifts and much love. The next evening Doug unexpectedly passed away. In an instant, he was reunited with Cathy, the love of his life and with others who had gone on before him! For his family here, however, the lighthouse that had always stood so strong in the center of their lives to help, guide, encourage, and shine bright with joy and love for them had suddenly gone dark. For those of us left here, may we honor Doug/Dad/Grandpa/Great Grandpa in our own lives moving forward, as we strive to be lighthouses in our own families, communities, neighborhoods, and workplaces like he was to so many.

Doug was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Linda (Dale) Costanza, his high school sweetheart and wife of 57 years, Cathy, his granddaughter, Kari, and great grandson, Franklin. He is survived by his children Kimberlei (Jeff), Todd (Michelle), Jode (Rich), his grandchildren and their spouses, and his great grandchildren. Doug is also survived by his sister Linda (David), his best friend Don, brothers-in-law Jim (Kathe), and Ron (Theresa), his Aunt Francie, cousins, nieces & nephews, friends, and fellow travelers. Doug will be remembered as having an infectious laugh, good sense of humor, being dependable/hard working, being generous/kind/respectful/genuinely friendly toward others, giving great (big) hugs, and so much more! He will also be remembered for his love of lighthouses, being near the water, picnics, family gatherings, a “good spread” of food, car & air shows, watching sports, going for drives in the car, photography, spending time with family and friends, and more. Doug will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved him here! Dad/Grandpa/Great Grandpa, we know how much you loved us all…we will always “Love You MORE!”

In lieu of flowers the family requests that a tree be planted and/or donations be made to the Alzheimer's & Dementia Foundation, or to a favorite charity of your choosing in honor and memory of Doug & Cathy Costanza's