Margaret Costa-Walke

Margaret Maria Costa-Walke was born in Silveira Lajes do Pico, Azores to her beloved parents Isilda Rodrigues Costa and Manuel Leal Costa. She immigrated with her parents and 3 siblings to California in 1959 where her parents would have 3 more children.

Although raised in a large Catholic family, Margaret made sure to follow her own rules. She attended San Jose City College after high school, and worked at Bank of the West for over 25 years. She met her husband Mike in 1992 through mutual friends. They welcomed their son William in 1996, then their daughter Katelynn in 1997, before marrying in 1997.

Margaret resided in Santa Clara County her entire life after moving to California. She moved back into her childhood home in Santa Clara with her family in 2002 to become a caregiver for her mother, Isilda, until her passing in 2017. Margaret also spent her time volunteering in her children’s classrooms and extracurriculars, regularly supervising field trips, assisting during class, and cooking meals for football dinners.

She loved traveling up and down the coast, tending to her garden, and keeping up with all the latest tennis matches. She was often in the kitchen for holidays, most likely listening to a myriad of 70s music and enjoying a slightly dirty martini. Margaret was an avid Bay Area sports fan, enjoying Giants games with her family and cheering the 49ers on, despite how long the injured list was.

Margaret is survived by her husband Mike and their two children, William and Katelynn; her siblings Maria, Manuel, Sandra, Rosie, and Fernanda; and several cherished siblings-in-law, nieces, nephews, and cousins. She is preceded in death by her parents, Isilda and Manuel, and sister Lorraine.

Margaret passed on unexpectedly and is incredibly missed by everyone that knew her. Although no measure of time will have ever been enough, we are so grateful for the time we were able to spend with her. Her family would like to acknowledge the Kaiser Santa Clara ICU and Palliative teams for their support and kindness, with special thanks to surgeon Dr. Hua, ICU doctors Dr. K and Dr. Conrad, and ICU nurses Win, Fredie, Alan, Mary Lyn, Mehrvash, and Erin for caring for Margaret in her final days.

Service will take place on Friday, October 16, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Lima Family Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, we ask you please make a donation to the American Cancer Society or the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.