- Date Of Death: June 11, 2017
- State: New Jersey
On Sunday June 11th Herman T. Costello passed away peacefully at his home in Burlington NJ after a long illness. He was 96. The son of Italian immigrants, he was born and raised in Burlington City. He was a caring and compassionate man who loved his family deeply.
Herman was always ready to extend a helping hand to those in need. A lifetime member of St. Paul’s Church, he was a daily communicant for many years. He attended Wilbur Watts High school, class of 1939, before enlisting in the Navy in 1942. After returning home he married the love of his life, Alice, in June 1948. He worked part time jobs while attending the College of South Jersey (Rutgers) and then Temple University. After graduating from Temple in 1950 he was employed by R.D. Wood Company in Florence NJ.
After their closing he obtained employment with the Burlington County Bridge Commission where he was Comptroller and then Personnel Director until he retired in 1983. Herman’s professional and personal life have been devoted to the service of his community – the City of Burlington. He was appointed tax assessor in 1954, then elected Councilman and eventually elected Mayor in 1967. He served as Mayor for a total of 33 years. His love for the City of Burlington knew no bounds as he worked tirelessly for its’ redevelopment to make it a better place to live and work. During this period he was also elected to the NJ State Assembly where he served for 7 years and then the NJ State Senate for 2 years.
He was President of the NJ Conference of Mayors from 1975 – 1976. Herman was named Mayor Emeritus in 2008. In addition to his elected public service, he served on many volunteer and fraternal organizations including the Knights of Columbus #589 Burlington, the American Legion, the VFW and others. Herman is predeceased by his parents, Charles and Margaret del Costello, sister Virginia and daughter Sandra Marie. He is survived by his wife Alice, son Mark del Costello of Burlington NJ, daughter Donna, husband Paul Michell and grandchildren Alison and Trevor Michell of Raleigh NC.
