John D. Costa

John D. Costa, 74, of Newport, recently a resident of Brookdale Sakonnet Bay in Tiverton, passed on from this life on Thursday, October 5th, 2017 at Vibra Hospital in New Bedford. He is the son of the late Frank G. "Sparky" Costa and the late Virginia C. (Camara) Costa, originally of Madeira Island, Portugal.John was born July 11, 1943 in North Dighton, MA and grew up in neighboring Taunton. He was a 1961 graduate of Taunton High School. John was married in 1967 to Marlene McCaffrey of Tiverton, RI, formerly of Taunton and herself a longtime resident of Newport. The couple divorced in 1974.The youngest of six siblings, John became the first college graduate in his family, receiving a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UMass Dartmouth (known then as SMU) and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern.John enjoyed a thirty-year career as a civilian employee of the United States Navy in Newport. His work designing submarine systems for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center took him to locations such as Hawaii, San Diego and Rome.A lifelong avid Red Sox fan, John was known for his sense of humor, commitment to family, and keen interest in technology. He was very fond of the adopted city in which he lived for nearly 50 years. He enjoyed walks through town, the energy brought by summer festivals, and the sounds of his beloved sport being played at Cardine's Field a short distance from his home.He is survived by a daughter, Shelley A. Costa, a 1988 graduate of Rogers High school, her spouse Alan R. Baker, and two grandchildren, Chloe and Sage Costa Baker, all of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. John is predeceased by his five older siblings. John's memory is cherished by a large number of nieces and nephews who were very dear to him.There will be a calling hour at 3:00 pm on Saturday, October 21st at Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway in Newport. A memorial service immediately follows at 4:00 pm at the same location.In place of flowers donations may be made to the Boys and Girls Club of Taunton, http://www.bgctaunton.org or to The Miracle League of Connecticut, 47 Upson St., Bristol, CT 06010, http://www.miracleleaguect.org. Visitation OCT 21. 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM Memorial Funeral Home 375 Broadway Newport, RI, US, 02840 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.memorialfuneralhome.com Service OCT 21. 04:00 PM Memorial Funeral Home 375 Broadway Newport, RI, US, 02840 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.memorialfuneralhome.com