Patrick M. Costa

Wrentham - Mr. Patrick M. Costa, son of the late Ms. Gloria Costa, and a former resident of the Fernald Center, died peacefully in his new home at the Wrentham Developmental Center on Tuesday, November 19, 2013. Born on July 22, 1964, Patrick was a normal, healthy child until he was stricken with H. influenza meningitis causing significant developmental delay. Patrick remained at home until he was admitted to Fernald in 1971.

Upon Ms. Costa's death in 2004, Ann Witham, a retired former employee and longtime volunteer at Fernald, agreed to become Patrick's legal guardian. His brother, Mark Costa and his wife Beth of Florida, their daughter and five sons, an extended family of relatives and his loving and caring staff and fellow residents of the Wrentham Developmental Center survive Patrick.

Patrick moved to Wrentham in July of 2010 and thrived in the lively atmosphere of his new home. A friendly man with an appealing manner, he quickly managed to endear himself to everyone who worked with him.

Highly alert and vigilant, Patrick was a people-watcher extraordinaire. He communicated with others primarily through non-verbal means, and he often seemed to be contemplating the meaning of what was happening around him and to be mulling over the complexity of human interaction. He had remarkable recall when it came to where things belonged in his environment, and he made it his personal mission to ensure that things stayed where they belonged, whether other people agreed with him or not.

Patrick understood the lure of simple pleasures. Throwing, rolling, catching, or just holding a ball seemed to bring him great contentment, and he was always up for a walk, regardless of the destination. He had eclectic taste in music, but he especially enjoyed the "easy listening" music of the 70's. It seemed as though he could listen to Simon and Garfunkel all day long.

In June of this year, Patrick was unexpectedly diagnosed with a grave illness which was deemed unlikely to respond to treatment. Following surgery and a recovery period at the May Center, he returned to his apartment, where his devoted staff , with the assistance of Steward Hospice Services, made him as comfortable and happy as possible. During his final weeks, his guardian visited often, as did others who had come to know and to care deeply about him. When he passed away peacefully on November 19th, a favorite caregiver was at his side.

A Funeral Mass in Celebration of Patrick's life will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 26th, 2013 at 1:30 PM in the Graves Auditorium, located on the Wrentham Campus. Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Internment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the "Special Gift Fund", Wrentham Developmental Center, PO Box 144, Wrentham, MA 02093 in Patrick's memory.