Obituary of Paul Costa

Paul Costa , of Bergenfield, died on Thursday, October 4, 2007, at the age of 84 years. Born in Hackensack on January 25, 1923 to Bartolo and Blanche Iozzio Costa, he moved to Bergenfield in 1952. Paul started working at an early age in a family owned business on Hobart Street known as B. Costa and Sons. Later, with his brothers Vincent and Bart, they incorporated the business and it became known as Costa Brothers Inc., a family department store on the corner of Jackson Avenue and Hudson Street in Hackensack where the family has been in business for more than 80 years. Paul loved his family and his business which was his life. A customer was a stranger once, if you came back again you were his friend, that was his philosophy. He enjoyed having lunch at the store and a friendly game of gin rummy with his friends, Harry Kellher, Frank Occhipinti, Hank Sansone and the Trobiano brothers. Paul was also a real estate developer and was a partner in Hobart Enterprises Real Estate Development Company with his friend Anthony Trobiano. During World War II, as a member of the Army Air Force, 95th Bomb Squadron he was a nose or tail gunner on B 17 and B 26 planes completing 51 combat missions, including a crash landing and another mission included the plane being heavily damaged which forced the crew to parachute to safety. Paul and the crew were received by the Free French underground and were returned to their base. He was the beloved husband of the late Lucille Sorensen Costa and the devoted father of Blanche Schierloh and her husband John of Hackensack, Paul Costa Jr. of Bergenfield and Lucille Calise and her husband Anthony of Calabash, North Carolina, and dearest brother of Bart Costa of Mahwah and the late Vincent Costa and Jean Nativo.The funeral service on Tuesday, October 9th, at 10:30 AM, at the funeral home with Reverend Gerard J. Graziano officiating with burial following at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Hackensack. The family will receive friends on Monday from 2 - 4 and 7 - 9 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Frank Trobiano Feed Hackensack Fund, 67 Leuning Street, South Hackensack, 07606 would be appreciated.