Loretta Costabile

Loretta Costabile (nee Coronato), age 95 of Wayne, died peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones,on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

Loretta was born and raised in the Totowa section of Paterson and graduated from Central High School with the class of 1944. It was in high school that her girlfriend introduced her to Charles Costabile. They exchanged countless letters while Charles served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and they courted for a few years after his return home. They tied the knot on October 19, 1952 at St. Mary’s RC Church in Totowa followed by a honeymoon to Washington, DC and Florida. They lived in Totowa Paterson for a few years before moving to their home that they built together in Wayne in 1960. Loretta has lived in that same home for sixty-two years! They raised their three children there together until Charles died suddenly in 1975. Loretta’s world was turned upside down as a result, but she was a fiercely strong woman, determined to do all she could for her children. She began working two, and sometimes three, jobs to make ends meet, and she did it with grace and poise. She worked at her father’s store; Coronato Brothers Silk Shop in Totowa, as a salesperson at Meyer Brothers, and as a cashier at the gift shop in Wayne General Hospital. She was a salesclerk at a bakery, a helper at a local nursery school, and as a library and cafeteria aid at the Lafayette Elementary School in Wayne. She was also a babysitter for countless families around town. She was truly amazing.

In her free time, she was an accomplished league bowler at T-Bowl, and she enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing various crafts, and solving jigsaw puzzles. She was a fantastic baker and a wonderful cook. Her pasta and meatballs were famous among her children, and she loved preparing large meals for the holidays. Christmas was her favorite holiday and along with the help of her sister, they would prepare the traditional seven fishes for Christmas Eve. No one is sure how she found the time, but Loretta also volunteered as the Treasurer for the Xaverian Missionaries in Wayne, Treasurer for the Our Lady of the Valley RC Church Seniors Group, Treasurer at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Wayne, and as Treasurer for the Golden Age Circle of Wayne. Needless to say, she kept herself active and busy, and she was dedicated to many local charities and causes.

Loretta is survived by her three children; Loretta Costabile of Newfoundland, John Costabile and his wife Donna of Sparta, and Kevin Costabile of Goshen, NY, three grandchildren; Kyle C., Trevor J., and Anthony M. Costabile, and one sister; Theresa Coronato-Rossi of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad.