Profile obituary: Richard E. "Dick" Costello

He was considered a straightforward man who made the northern Columbia County community of Leah much safer.

But Richard E. "Dick" Costello's legacy was much bigger than Leah, earning him the respect of many throughout the county.

"He was real easygoing," said Martinez Fire Department Chief Doug Cooper, who worked with Mr. Costello at the Martinez Fire Department in the 1970s. "He liked to cook for you."

On Sunday, Mr. Costello, who served as the chief of the Leah Fire Department from 1993 to 2002, died at the age of 64. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. today at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church.

Members of the Martinez Fire Department Honor Guard will be pallbearers. Mr. Costello's casket will be taken from Poteet Funeral Home on Davis Road to St. Teresa on a Martinez Fire Department truck.

"He just really was a nice guy," said David Butler, the deputy administrator of the Martinez Fire Department.

"He was very community oriented and was a good friend."

Those who knew Mr. Costello said he was instrumental in getting the Leah Fire Department started and instituted several improvements for fighting fires in the rural area, including the use of dry hydrants to pump water from ponds.

Mr. Costello was also credited with helping the Leah area improve its fire rating, which helped residents with insurance costs.

Mr. Costello was known as a family man and is survived by four sons - two of them firefighters - and his wife, Annette T. Costello.

"He was a great dad and a great man," said one son, Richard E. Costello II.

Reach Preston Sparks at 868-1222, ext. 115, or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.