Therese Bischoff Costos

Wife of the late J. George Costos, she was born in Woodhaven, New York and raised in River Vale, NJ. She completed high school in Westwood, NJ and graduated from the College of William and Mary with a bachelor’s degree in economics. After college she worked for a short time in New York City for AT&T. While commuting to work one day on the bus, she ran into George who had been a childhood acquaintance.

Married in 1943, Terry and George lived in Hamden, CT from 1950 to 1958. During that time, she was active with homemaking, child-rearing, volunteer work for the Red Cross, and bridge clubs. In 1958 they moved to Westwood MA where they stayed until 1976. While there, she participated in bowling and bridge groups. She was also kept busy attending high school sporting events. Many a memorable party was held in the Westwood home as Terry and George enjoyed entertaining. In particular, there was an annual New Year’s Day party to watch the football bowl games. In 1962, the family served as a host to Gunnar Hanssen, a Norwegian American Field Service student, who lived with them for a year and became a life-long friend. Terry also became active in politics. For a time she took on the role of President of the Westwood Women’s Republican Club. As a result of that post, she served as a companion to Jessie Sargent, wife of the former MA Governor Francis Sargent, accompanying her to numerous meetings and charitable events. This was a custom that reflects the history of the times as it was unseemly for the governor’s wife to appear in public alone.

Leaving MA in 1976 to retire to Punta Gorda, FL and to summer in Rangeley, ME, Terry became an avid golfer. She played actively for 18 years on courses in Florida and Maine and got a hole in one two times during her golf career. During one summer in the 1980’s she was the women’s golf champion at both the Mingo Springs Golf Course in Rangeley, ME and at St. Andrews South Golf Club in Punta Gorda, FL. Terry and George enjoyed travel and took the opportunity to make trips throughout the US including Hawaii and Alaska. They also travelled in Canada and made several visits to a range of European countries including Norway, Greece, and Italy.

Terry was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, J. George Costos, who died in 1994. She continued to reside in Punta Gorda for 16 more years enjoying the weather, the view from her waterfront villa, and the opportunity to swim as often as possible in her pool. One of the highlights of this time period was that for a number of years she met weekly with a woman friend who had little education, successfully tutoring her how to read and write. She also volunteered at Fawcett Memorial Hospital for several years. She took two small boat cruises on the Danube and Rhine Rivers with her daughter, sister, and brother-In-law and cruised the inside passage in Alaska. In 2010, she moved from her Florida home to New Pond Village in Walpole, MA.

She leaves her daughter, Daryl Costos of Sherborn, a son, Robert Costos and his wife, Sandra Stanley Costos of Cambridge, MD; a sister, Winifred Gendreizig of Colorado Springs, CO; three grandchildren, Karen Skelley of Parkton, MD, Alex Costos of Phoenix, MD, and Craig Costos of Houma, LA; one great grandson; a nephew, Larry Gendreizig of Lyons, CO; a niece, Judi Studer of Casper, WY; and two grand-dogs, English Springer spaniel Sherman and English setter Molly. She also leaves important friends who she considered as family: Suzy Setzer of Sherborn and Gunnar Hanssen of Oslo, Norway.

Terry's family wishes to acknowledge and thank the staff and administration of Clark House for their exceptional care and compassion during this difficult time.

Services for the family will be private.