Madeline (Grant) Costa

Madeline (Grant) Costa, 95, formerly of Tiverton, RI, died in York, Maine on May 18, 2021. Born and raised in Fall River, she was the daughter of Patrick A. Grant and Rose Labonty and the wife of the late Edward (Joe) Costa. Her brothers and sisters, Patrick A. Grant, Jr., William Grant, Roland Grant, Dorothy Jankowski, Robert Grant, Eileen Buchanan, and Loretta (Millette) Desrosiers, all died before her.

Madeline is survived by her daughter, Carol A. Costa of York, Maine, her son, Paul Grant-Costa of Stonington, Connecticut, her sister, Barbara Ferron of Fall River, several nieces and nephews, and, much to her chagrin, no grandchildren.

Funny, smart, inquisitive, and caring, she was the girl with the bright blue eyes who loved to dance, especially at the Lincoln Park Ballroom in the 1940s. She and her friends even travelled to Providence to swing to Harry James and Glenn Miller. Asked once how she learned to dance, she said you just feel the music inside you. She began work at 16. After trying her hand at box-making at J&J Corrugated, she became a seamstress at a number of local mills, including the Beacon Dress Company and Samesta Manufacturing, until retiring in 1987.

It was at the Beacon where she met our dad, a short man with two left feet. He, nonetheless, swept her off her feet, and they were married in 1950. We came along shortly thereafter. Mom got us ready for school, nursed us through sicknesses, and made us laugh. She taught one of our dogs to walk on its hind legs and another to say “I’m hungry.” Her in-laws, Joseph and Mary Costa, became her second parents, and they cared for each other deeply.

In the late 1960s, our parents bought property along Mount Hope Bay in Tiverton, Rhode Island. It was their oasis and the place they built a house that had an expansive view of the water and the most stunning sunsets, a place of warmth and love. After our dad died in 2017, mom moved to Maine, where she lived in a senior living facility. There, she enjoyed going for bus rides, playing bingo and games on her computer, playing the piano, and making puzzles. And making people smile. Madeline remained positive, funny, and inquisitive until the end of her life here on earth. But now it’s time to say goodbye. She is listening to music we do not know and feeling its beat. Our mom with the beautiful blue eyes, now forever closed, is now dancing with the stars.

Services will be private and provided by Auclair Funeral Home, 690 South Main St, Fall River MA.

The family would like to thank the staff and caregivers at Sentry Hill at York Harbor ME who have taken such wonderful care of Madeline for the past several years, and especially for providing exceptional care and keeping her safe and loving her every day, especially when we couldn’t be there in person during the past year.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Madeline’s name to the Animal Rescue League of Fall River, 474 Durfee St, Fall River MA or a pet rescue near you. Or, spend some time with someone you love.