Obituary of Joan M. Costello
Joan Costello (nee Greene), age 92, of Glen Mills, died on January 21, 2026 at Maris Grove retirement community.
Born on May 12, 1933 in Ridley Township, Joan had a lifelong connection to Ridley and the Green Raiders. She attended Ridley Township High School, where she was a star field hockey player and majorette who twirled her baton for the Philadelphia Eagles. At Ridley, she met the love of her life, legendary Green Raider and PMC quarterback John “Yommie” Costello. She graduated from Ridley in 1951, and after a brief stint as an FBI typist, enrolled at Kutztown State Teachers College where she received her degree in Art Education in 1955. She and Yommie were married later that year, and they settled in Folsom and had three children who all graduated from Ridley. After working as a substitute teacher for a few years, she landed a position as an art teacher at Ridley High School and eventually became head of the Art Department. During her 25-year career, she made a difference in the lives of hundreds of students, many of whom continued to stay in touch with her over the years. She retired from teaching in 1994 and moved from Folsom to the Maris Grove retirement community in 2006, after the passing of her beloved husband Yommie. As one of the first Maris Grove residents and co-leader of the MG art program, Joan enjoyed helping her new neighbors develop their drawing and painting skills. She honed her own skills by creating pastel portraits of each of her family members. She also established a scholarship fund in honor of her late husband, providing $1000 annual grants to a graduating Green Raider football player. These awards will be continued by the family and expanded to include art students as part of the renamed Joan and Yommie Costello Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Joan is survived by her three children, Joe (Karin), John (Patti), and Kerry Mentzer (Tim), by seven grandchildren, and by twelve great grandchildren.
A celebration of Joan’s life will be held at the Maris Grove Chapel on February 27. Visitation will run from 10:00-11:00AM, immediately followed by a memorial service. In lieu of flowers, scholarship donations can be mailed to Ridley High School, Attn: Madeline O’Neill, 901 Morton Avenue, Folsom, PA 19033. Checks should be made out to Ridley High School and refer to “Costello Memorial Scholarship" on the memo line.
