Hildegard Anna Auguste Costello (née Dreier)

December 11, 2019

Hildegard died peacefully in her 98th year on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. Born in Bremen, Germany on June 17, 1922. She is survived by her daughter, Suzanne (Susie) Costello, and her niece, Susanne (Susi) Schmider. Predeceased by her husband Michael James (Jim) Costello, her parents Herman and Erna (Wieker) Dreier, her siblings Johanne Betke and Paul Dreier, and her nephew Ulrich Betke. Hildegard immigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1958 where she met her husband. In 1962 she moved to Deep River, Ontario with her husband and five week old daughter. She lived there until 2017 when she moved to Toronto to be near her daughter. Hildegard had a keen interest in people (taking psychology courses, observing human nature, long conversations about the “human condition”), was compassionate (her heart always went out to the underdog), loved words and language (was widely read, did the Challenge Crossword in the Globe and Mail every day), had an intuitive intelligence (loved playing bridge), had a lively and playful personality(wrote the most delightful notes and letters), had a fierce determination when she set her mind to something, and had a sense of adventure (at 71 she ventured into her daughter’s world and took a week-long course at a yoga ashram). Thank you to the wonderful team at True Davidson Acres Long-Term Care Facility for their care and kindness over the past two and a half years. In lieu of flowers or donations, please send your memories of Hildegard to Susie at [email protected] or post them on www.aftercare.org/obituaries/Hildegard-Costello. A memorial service will be held in Toronto in January - details to be announced.