William Costa   Class of 1933

Submitted by Bill Norvell 65 <w.norvell@att.net> on 25/May/2013
108.75.157.44

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  Blaise William "Bill" Costa of New Paltz, former resident of Grand Avenue, Balmville, died Saturday, October 1, 2005 at home with his family. He was born December 10, 1915 in Newburgh, the son of Anthony D. Costa and Josephine Cannistrace. He was a graduate of Newburgh Free Academy. He married Catherine Chrystal on September 7, 1936 and they had celebrated 67 years of marriage when Catherine died in May of 2003. Mr. Costa is survived by three sons: Anthony Costa and his wife, Andrea, Philip Costa and his wife, Margaret, and Kevin Costa; and a daughter, Sheila Mariello and her husband, Anthony. All are from New Paltz. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; one brother, Joseph Costa of Newburgh; two sisters, Joan Costa of Warwick and Theresa Hubbard of Fishkill; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a son, David; two brothers, Louis Costa and Angelo Costa; and two sisters, Annunciata Costa and Marie Fern. Mr. Costa was founder and co-owner with his brothers of Costa Beverages, a local soft-drink manufacturing company. He was a member of St. Patrick's Church; the Powelton Club, and former president of the New York State Soft Drink Association. Visitation will be on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 from 4-8 p.m. at the Brooks-DiDonato Funeral Home, 481 Gidney Ave., Newburgh, N.Y. A Memorial Mass in celebration of his life will be held on Thursday, October 6 at 10:30 a.m. in St. Patrick's Church, Newburgh. Burial will be private. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Ulster County, 34 Broadway, Kingston, NY 12401. Arrangements were made by the Brooks-DiDonato Funeral Service, Inc. www.Brooks-DiDonato.com.

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Newburgh — In 1946, in a tiny building on Spring Street in the city's East End, Blaise William "Bill" Costa and his brothers Joe and Louie began their own soda bottling business. Over the next 42 years, Costa Beverages sodas became a popular regional brand, jockeying with the likes of industry giants Coke and Pepsi for space on store shelves all across the mid-Hudson. Bill Costa, whose son Anthony regarded him as "the organizing force" behind that business, died Saturday at his home in New Paltz with his family beside him. He was about two months shy of his 90th birthday. Anthony Costa said his first job was working for his dad. "My earliest memory is going down to that little plant when I was probably 12 or so," he said. "I'd go down there and clean the syrup room." He made 25 cents an hour and "hated" the job, but it was educational: "What I learned was I needed to get a college education so I didn't need to work like that." The business was so successful that by the late 1950s a new, larger plant was built on Lake Street. Green Costa vending machines became a familiar sight. "They used to drive Coke and Pepsi nuts," Anthony Costa said. The company finally folded in 1988. Anthony Costa said it got to be "too tough to compete with Pepsi and Coke," and the next generation of Costas chose other careers like banking and stock brokering. After he retired, Bill Costa remained active until his health declined during the past year. "He always acted very young," said Anthony Costa. A few years ago while playing golf at the Powelton Club, he met Joseph Scalza, a retired Newburgh School District physical education teacher. The two became fast friends despite a 15-year age difference, and played golf together every Tuesday and Thursday. Last year, they took a month-long trip to Florida, and while down there, Scalza said, his friend did all the driving, and cooked every night. "He was an unbelievably good golfer," said Scalza. "I'd hit the ball down the middle of the fairway, and he'd say, 'What a good shot.' Then he'd hit his shot 40 or 50 feet farther." Scalzo and Anthony Costa said Bill Costa was devoted to his late wife, Catherine, who died in May 2003 after nearly 67 years of marriage. While he's sad his friend is gone, Scalzo said he's comforted by one thought: "I'm happy he's with Catherine now."

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