Robert Costa

Robert Costa of Katy, Texas passed away at home on January 25, 2019, after an odds-defying battle with cancer. Bob was born on February 21, 1937 to Georgia and Anthony Costa in Boston. He would go on to become the first person in his family to graduate college, but always remained rooted in the values of the working-class, Depression-era neighborhood he grew up in. He worked a variety of jobs as a young man, including as a sanitation worker and operating the conveyor belt at a candy factory. After college at Boston University and basic training with the Army Reserve, he worked as an insurance adjuster, a job that allowed him to live in number of different cities. He then spent more than three decades as a dedicated public servant overseeing investigations for the Social Security Administration in Dallas. Family was always most important to Bob, and he always put the needs and desires of family and friends above his own. He arrived at the office every morning before 6:00 a.m., which allowed him to get home in time to coach his children's sports teams. His neighborhood girls' soccer team was legendary; it went years without losing a game and five of the girls, including his daughter Allison, ended up earning soccer scholarships to major colleges. His happiest years were when he and Susan retired to Houston to be near family. He made new friends and was a frequent and vocal (sometimes too vocal) supporter of his grandchildren at all of their activities. Bob leaves his wife of 47 years, Susan, and his children: son Gregg and wife Jennifer, their children Elijah, Joshua, and Rebekah; daughter Allison and husband Gus, their children Austin, Gavin, and Owen; daughter Linda, her son Jesse; and daughter Jeanne, her children Bonnie and Jon. He was preceded in death by his parents Georgia and Anthony and his brother Guy. The family would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Rachel Theriault and Nurse Kim Foster at M.D. Anderson whose treatment allowed Bob to spend a precious final couple years with his loved ones and whose presence always brightened his day. The family also greatly appreciates the assistance of his caregivers, particularly Gloria Williams, Sabrina Swopes and Leonor Tamayo. . In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in his memory be made to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Robert Costa

February 21, 1937 - January 25, 2019