Lillian Maywood (Kenney) Costello, age 89, of Woburn, formerly a longtime resident of Melvin Village, NH, and a 60-year resident of Winchester, MA, passed away on July 7, 2024, surrounded and cared for by her loving family. She was the beloved wife for over 50 years of the late Robert J. “Bob” Costello.
Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Eva (Nickerson) Kenney. She lived in Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia until the age of 11, when her family relocated to Quincy, MA. She was raised and educated in Quincy and was a graduate of Quincy High School with the class of 1953, where she met the love of her life, Bob Costello.
After high school, like many of the young women at that time, she enrolled in the Katharine Gibbs School to learn top-notch secretarial skills. She married Bob and soon started a family. As Bob’s funeral service career took shape, a fellow director suggested a move to Winchester, where a funeral home property was for sale. They moved with their two-year-old son to Winchester and began a new chapter in their lives.
As a young mother in a strange new place with a toddler, Lil would sit at the window in Winchester and long for the family and friends she had left behind in Quincy and Shag Harbour. As the years passed and their family grew, she made new friendships, and her family bonds became tighter.
Bob and Lil raised their family in Winchester and became active in the community, where they formed many lifelong friendships. As members of the “Mr. and Mrs. Club” at St. Mary’s they created many fun memories with the couples they met there, among others. She was also a longtime member of the En Ka Society of Winchester.
They spent family vacations on Lake Winnipesaukee and formed lasting friendships, especially with the Currell family. They eventually bought their own home in Melvin Village, where they enjoyed family time, gardening, cross-country skiing, boating and generally just enjoying the peace, tranquility, nature and wildlife. As their family grew, they introduced the next generation to their private retreat. Lil’s family recalled her gift of naturally attracting wildlife. It seemed that when she walked outside, the critters peeked out from behind the shrubs and the hummingbirds danced at her feeders. They oftentimes landed on her shoulders.
In her spare time, Lil enjoyed cooking and baking, and there was always a fresh-baked treat on her counter. She knitted afghans, scarves and sweaters and would try just about any pattern. She was a magnificent quilter who reveled in her ability to stitch by hand, and proudly professed to having never used a sewing machine to attach her quilt squares. Her quilt creations are treasured by family members for whom she thoughtfully and lovingly chose colors and patterns.
Lillian also enjoyed traveling back to Shag Harbour, to the seaside homes that have been in the family for over four generations. She and Bob also took yearly trips to Florida as well as simply enjoying the mountains and trails in Melvin Village. They often took daily walks and cross-country ski runs on the trails behind the house. Most of all, they enjoyed gardening and pruning their property to get a better view of the mountains. Their rock garden with a view of Bald Peak was legendary, and several family members have framed photographs of it in their homes.
Lillian loved Tuftonboro and the surrounding communities. She was a member of the Hiker’s Group, volunteered at the Castle in the Clouds and she and Bob were founding members of the Ridgewood Country Club. She also socialized as a member of the Red Hat Society.
In later years, the grandchildren would crowd the house and fill the bedrooms on their stays. She was also glad to make room for her children’s friends as they headed up north for the ice-fishing season. Her door was always open, and snowmobilers occasionally drove off the trail at her house to stop in and say hello.
Because of this friendly nature, Lillian maintained many lifelong friendships from Shag Harbour, Quincy High School and Winchester. Her very best friends, however, would forever be Bob’s late sister Betty and her late husband, Frank. Betty and Lil instantaneously bonded and were notorious for coincidentally showing up wearing the same outfit.
Lillian is lovingly survived by her children: Robert J. Costello, Jr. of Manchester, NH, Elizabeth A. O’Neil of Newburyport, Nancy M. McQuillin and her husband Brian of Lawrence, Peter J. Costello and his husband Kevin McDonough of Arlington, and Joseph W. Costello and his wife Lauren of Winchester. She was the devoted “Grammy” of Michael Costello and his wife Jillian, Patricia Costello, Kelley McQuillin and her wife Camilla Brett, Molly McQuillin, Riley McQuillin, Melissa O’Neil, William O’Neil, Joseph Costello, Jr., Emily Costello and the great-Grammy of Gabriella and Tyler Costello and Emma Brett-McQuillin. She was the dear sister of the late Emelene Kaufman, Joseph “Bud” Kenney, Jr. and Marilyn Bennett and she will also be missed by her loving nieces, nephews and friends.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to gather for a Visitation at the Costello Funeral Home, 177 Washington St., Winchester, on Friday, July 12 from 9-10:30 AM followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Mary’s Church, 155 Washington St., Winchester, at 11AM. Burial will follow in Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lillian’s memory may be made to the En Ka Society of Winchester, 1037 Main St., Winchester, MA 01890 https://www.enkasociety.org.