Emily Costello Hurley

Emily was born and raised in Galway, Ireland, from a devout Catholic family of 15 children. Emily went to Richmond Hospital School of Nursing in Dublin, and immigrated to Chicago at age 25 to work as a nurse at South Shore Hospital (where her first 4 children would later be born). Emily met and married her beloved husband, the late Robert J. (Bob) Hurley in 1957, and became a US citizen in 1959. They were to celebrate their 57th wedding anniversary a month before Bob died in 2014.

She was mother to six children and with her husband provided all with a college education. Bob worked for Shell Oil and in 1972 moved the family from Chicago, IL to Houston, TX. Emily went to work as a nurse at what was then a tiny outpost medical clinic in the rural area of Tomball, Texas, where she would work for the next 26 years. During her long career at what became the prestigious Tomball Regional Medical Center, she worked as a recovery nurse and made many life-long friends with her doctor, nurse and administrator colleagues. She was a beloved figure in Tomball. She retired in 1998 to become a full time grandmother and later, great-grandmother. Thanks to hard work and good planning, she and Bob lived comfortably in retirement, and enjoyed watching their 6 children start families and provide them with 14 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Emily was generous with her time and attention to her beloved grandchildren, who remember her smile, kindness, Irish jigs and lullabies, stories, her penchant for Hershey chocolate bars, love and laughter.

Emily was preceded in death by her husband Bob, and is survived by their daughter Brenda Cumming and husband Craig and children Chance and Bryce; Daughter Nancy Albrecht and husband Mike, and children Andy, William, and Allison Cassidy and husband Brian and great-granddaughter Clare; son Robert Hurley, wife Beth and their child Ryan; son Christopher Hurley and wife Holly and children Ashton and Heather; son Michael Hurley and wife Natalie, and children Keenan, Kara and Brendan; and son Matthew Hurley and wife Marla, and children Lucas, Patrick and Anna Lee. Emily is also survived by brothers Patrick Costello of Perth, Australia and Bernard Costello and her sister Eileen Nestor of Galway, Ireland, and many nieces, nephews and close friends. Emily was preceded in death by her parents Laurence and Sarah Costello, and her brothers Thomas, John, Michael, Vincent and William, and sisters Mary Ellen, Delia, Nora, Peggy, Sally, and Ann of Galway, Ireland.

Memorial Service at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home, 12555 S. Kirkwood Rd, Stafford, TX on Thursday June 2nd. Visitation from 6-7pm, followed by Rosary service. Funeral Mass at St. Laurence Catholic Church, 3100 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land, TX on Friday at 10am.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in her name to Catholic Charities of Galveston/Houston would be appreciated.