Jack Costello no longer being with us is a concept hard to comprehend.
A larger-than-life figure when he ruled The Sun from its offices at 15 Kearney Square, Jack passed away August 28. He had suffered from dementia in the last years of his life.
I owe my 36-year career in journalism to Jack Costello. When I was a junior at the University of Lowell (this was before UMass scooped it up), I was referred to The Sun by a professor who thought I was a good writer. What did she know, right?
The Sun started me out covering local municipal meetings. I remember covering a Bedford School Committee meeting — remember, I’m, what, 19? – and driving back to Lowell thinking this reporter business wasn’t for me.
Then, this guy named Jack Costello asked me if I wanted to be a part-time sportswriter. At the time, he was the acting sports editor. All I knew about the guy was that his family had owned the paper since it was founded about a million years before (it was actually in 1878) and that everyone in the newsroom seemed to fear him.
I took the job and remained with the sports department until 1997, when I made the move to “the dark side” – news, first as metro editor, then a copy editor and columnist. I remember writing my first column, unsolicited, and getting a strong reaction from the readers. The next day, Jack said, “So when are you writing your next one?” I took up the gauntlet and never looked back.
Jack was more often than not a bear to work for. He could rant and rave with the best of them, and he was a big, muscular, imposing guy, a former Navy man. He wouldn’t let you forget who owned the newspaper. And he always had the last word.
If there was a particularly huge story going in the paper, he’d hold up the printing of the paper until he was sure everything was the way he wanted it. “It’s my nickel,” he’d say.
But if something you did caused the paper to miss its print deadline? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t your nickel, and Jack would let you know it.
He ran The Sun in its heyday, when daily newspapers were respected and taken seriously, when their editorials held weight. When I was growing up in the Lower Highlands, everybody read The Sun. It was a huge part of the community.
Jack was born to be a newspaper guy. Newsprint ran in his blood.
The same could be said for Kendall Wallace, who worked his way up to publisher of the paper before his retirement.
“I had the privilege of working for two generations of the Costello family,” said Wallace, who started at The Sun when Jack’s father, John, was the boss. “I admired both Jack and his dad. Both told me that owning a daily newspaper was a sacred trust. Both Jack and his dad honored that trust.
“My only guidance from them was to produce the best local newspaper every day,” Wallace added. “They wanted the newspaper to be responsible and to support community progress.”
Wallace and I are just a couple of the dozens of Lowell kids who got to work for the daily newspaper they and everyone they knew grew up with.
Patrick Cook is another.
Cook, now the Vice President of Administration at Middlesex Community College, started his career as a ULowell co-op at The Sun in the 1980s, a job that included the task of manning the newsroom on Saturdays and Sundays to monitor the police scanner. Many days, the only other person he’d see was Jack, especially during football season.
“He was already trying to figure out how to queue up the sports coverage for the Monday edition,” Cook said.
Even back then, as a green reporter, Cook got to know Jack as the go-to person for all things sports and music. Cook recalls Jack being “a cheerleader” in the mid-1980s for Lowell Memorial Auditorium, which was trying to reposition itself as a concert venue.
“Jack believed that the paper’s support would help promote the viability of the building and help attract nationally recognized names to come and perform,” he said. “This involvement with the LMA would eventually lead to Jack securing a seat on the board of trustees for the Auditorium, a position he took seriously, seeing it as his contribution to the music and cultural scene for Lowell.”
Indeed, the Auditorium has fulfilled Jack’s goal, attracting such major acts as Bruce Springsteen, Joe Cocker and Robin Williams over the years.
Charlie St. Amand, who worked at The Sun from 1989-2010, designing and laying out the front page for much of that time, remembers Jack as “a hands-on editor.”
“He wanted impact on Page 1,” he said. “He wanted to engage the reader. He wasn’t bashful about making changes, and most times I couldn’t argue with the finished product. He taught me to play the big story big.
“He also counseled editors who worked in his newsroom not to think we were up in ‘ivory towers,’” St. Amand added. “He wanted us to get out of the office and get to know our communities and the people in them.”
That type of hands-on leadership helped make The Sun the influential community leader it was.
The Costello Era at The Sun came to an end before the turn of the century. In 1997, 119 years after it printed its first edition, Jack and his siblings, realizing that the next generation had no interest in running a daily newspaper, sold to Colorado-based MediaNews Group, which eventually sold to Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund that still owns The Sun and more than 100 other newspapers across the country.
The sale of the paper was, for employees, like a weight off their back. No longer would they have to deal with Jack and his mercurial moods.
Ironically, those of us who stayed around for a couple more decades came to realize that the Costello days were, in reality, the good old days. Though Jack was a difficult boss, he valued The Sun’s employees, and he had to look them in the eye every day, unlike the present, when the bean-counters in New York don’t know nor care who works for their newspapers, just how much money they earn – and make their decisions based on that.
Before I was “laid off” from The Sun on July 1, 2021 (while I was on vacation, by the way), Jack would often visit the office on Dutton Street in the former American Textile History Museum. The office was a ghost town because management wanted everyone to work from home. Remember COVID? Feeling that someone needed to be physically in the newsroom of a major daily newspaper (whatever that means in this day and age), I refused the work-from-home “suggestion.”
So I was there whenever Jack visited. He was, sadly, a shell of his former self. He would continuously apologize for selling The Sun. What was I supposed to say? The family made millions of dollars in the sale, and they got out at the right time, before newspapers began their inevitable decline. Jack and his siblings were right to offload the paper when they did.
But Jack was visibly disheartened when he would visit the office in later years. Listening to him talk about those old days, it was clear to me that a large part of him died in 1997. Sure, the new company kept him on for a few years as part of the deal. Once he relinquished control of the paper, though, he was like Superman carrying a lump of Kryptonite around in his pocket.
He no longer had the power — the cache — of running the single most influential institution in Lowell. When the Costellos owned The Sun, what Jack said or wrote mattered. When they sold the company, it no longer did.
He and his wife, Brenda, even moved out of the city, first to Manchester-by-the-Sea, then to Newburyport.
But he continuously found his way back to Lowell, often taking breakfast with buddies from the old days and sometimes stopping in at the paper he once led with an iron fist.
In one of Jack’s last visits to The Sun – which, in its heyday, encompassed hundreds of employees in four stories of a building in the heart of downtown Lowell, but by this time contained a couple dozen employees in a single room – we reminisced about those old days.
He told another employee who happened to be in the office that day that I was the best hire he ever made. (He was, I remind you, suffering from early-onset dementia.)
Then, as he reached for the door, he said to me, “OK, I’ll see ya. Love ya, kid.”
I’m pretty sure that puts me in a very small minority of former Sun employees.
Like I said at the top, Jack no longer being with us seems incomprehensible. I prefer to remember those good old days, when those of us who worked at The Sun harbored a healthy fear, and a large dose of respect, for the man who ruled the fourth floor.
(Dan Phelps, who worked at The Sun for 36 years, is now the Economic Development Planner for the Town of Dracut)
(Cover photo courtesy Henry Marte)
54 responses to ““Newsprint Ran in His Blood” – Remembering Jack Costello”
Damn, that was a beautiful reflection of who Jack was… In this environment I’m worried that we’re never going to remember what people like Jack did for Lowell and for the newspaper business. Thank you for doing that. Marty Meehan
Wonderful article. Jack’s leadership of the Arena & Stadium Commission was essential to ensure the legacy of Paul Tsongas was sustained and that Lowell would have the first-rate entertainment venue it deserved – no matter who owned the facility. As someone who worked closely with Jack, I grew to respect him immensely. Rest in peace, my friend.
Nicely written Dan!
Fine tribute my old friend! When Jack came to the bike store in Newburyport he always reminded me that it was him who hired me in September, 1984! Love the ‘laid off’ line. We know the truth!
Dan, I think you really captured the essence of Jack — a humanity that easily missed about him with his bigness.
I remember when the Arena stuff was happening and I think Brian Martin was city manager, and there was a big council meeting about to happen with a vote and of course we had a front page story designed to frame the issue and push things towards getting it done and he and Campi and Charlie and Tom were all going round and round and Jack was getting fed up and suddenly comes up to me and starts dropping F-bombs and telling me to how to edit the headline and then says something like, “add this….’a source said, “blah blah blah”‘” and he added what he wanted to say into the story.
On one hand I was horrified, on another, I really admired his passion, his love of the city and his desire to do great things. Also, when he wasn’t f-bombing me under tremendous deadline pressure — he was funny and he was kind to me. He knew my wife and my kids names and we laughed about sports and teased John Greenwald together. He teased the sports guys and he was a real human. He wasn’t easy to work for. But he was real. And he was truly, deeply, and passionately a man of the city. He has been sorely missed.
I didn’t agree with him all the time. I didn’t always like the way he got when he got pissed off. But I always respected where he was coming from and why he was trying so hard to do the things he did. I miss him a lot. I miss having a family owned newspaper in the city.
Over the years, I’ve often regretted leaving The Sun, and more often been glad I god out when I did, but I can tell you this — Jack Costello was a good man and a great guy to have in the community and I hope he rests in peace knowing he made a huge positive difference in tens of thousands of lives.
God Bless Jack Costello.
Nicely done Phelpsie. You still got it my man.
Thank you for this wonderful tribute to my dad.
Wonderful tribute, Dan. As a Sun sportswriter for 44 years, the first 28 of them during the Costello years, I can verify that Jack could be difficult, even maddening, to work for, especially during the years he was the sports editor. But, as you noted, it was his “nickel,” and while we were all underpaid compared to rival newspapers he willingly spent a lot of nickels to put a superior product on the streets of Lowell and the Merrimack Valley. The early ’80s were the heyday of The Sun, five editions a day to make certain every town in the circulation area had at least one story every day, staffing bureaus in Washington D.C. and the State House, covering Boston teams home and away. Jack had some personal quirks that led to a lot of amusing anecdotes that old staffers still share on occasions when we reunite. He was an icon. My sincere condolences go out to his eminently patient wife, Brenda, and the rest of the Costello family.
Attaboy Danny! Thanks. Al C.
Great tribute, Dan. I still play the cassette tape Jack mixed for me of the top hits of my graduation year.
What a great service you yourself just performed! Unflinchingly unbiased and somehow elegiac. Bravo. (Jack was my coolest first cousin and my own comic foil/nemesis and reading this is the first time I got a confirming sense of who he was at The Sun. )
Dan
Thank you for letting us( the Lowell Sun Peeps) know about Jack’s passing.
I started working at the Sun in the Advertising Dept. in the early 80’s and eventually found myself up on the 4th floor working for Kendall whose office at that time was next to Jack’s. I liked Jack who at the time reminded me of Donald Trump with his blond hair etc and I remember referring to him as “Donald Grump” because of his personality. A couple of years ago a group of us got together for lunch…..Nanyce Tuttle, Joe Day, Carmen Bellerose, Mike Pigeon and Judy, and Jack. It was a fun time. He was hilarious….all memories of the good old days at The Sun, now a pitiful shell of what it used to be.
My sympathy to Jack’s family.
May he rest in peace.
Dan, thank you for this tribute to Jack at this difficult time. My family and I were smiling and crying while reading it. Jack would have loved the attention, but you know he would have had a few edits. He also would have made sure it was on the front page – above the fold!
And Chaz, I appreciate that you observed my patience. He was a great man and will be missed. He is finally at peace.
So well done, Dan. Jack took a chance on me after I left the Salem News amid a labor dispute. Jim Campanini and Charley St. Amand vouched for me and Jack pulled me aside and said, “I don’t want any of that shit here.” From that bleak warning on he was a supporter, even in his crotchety way. He put me on Paul Tsongas’s presidential run and took the photo himself of the local guy telling the young reporter he was launching his improbable 1992 campaign. That was after Jack and Kendall Wallace weighed sending me to Saudi Arabia to cover the local angle of the Gulf War – talk about thinking big! I ended up on an aircraft carrier off Bermuda, writing about two local pilots, Michael Janas and Pete Cawley, returning home from the battle. The thruline was that Jack always thought big, went where the news took him, was willing to spend company bucks on pro sports coverage and any other story that balanced local interest with major impact. He charged me on the “Where’s the Fat” local budget series, he and Kendall paired me with Paul Sullivan on The Column. Oh, those Saturday mornings we spent together at the Hilton and back in the empty newsroom. He sent us to Washington (with Brenda joining us) so we could cover Bill Clinton’s inauguration and that of first-term congressman Marty Meehan. Alex Costello and I covered conventions together, as did Sully and I. Jack’s aspiration for the paper was no bigger than his love for Lowell or the potential he saw for it. He also was blessed with a great artistic and aesthetic sense. I remember seeing him most recently at his surprise birthday party. It was a great but bittersweet moment. Seemingly uncharacteristically but, truly, in form, we parted with him saying, “Love you, GloJo.” I said it then and I’ll say it one final time, “Love you, too, Jack.” Rest well you military, family, civic and news leader. You took care of many along a life well-lived.
Loved reading this, Dan.
It is a wonderful recollection of a great man who dedicated his life to The Lowell Sun and to making Lowell a great place to live.
I loved “ the good old days.”
My Dad was the Sports Editor of The Sun for many years, and the Sargent’s and the Costello’s go way back.
Jack carried on the tradition of making The Lowell Sun a newspaper worth reading.
My son was a paper boy when he was young, and Tom Costello couldn’t have been nicer to him. A family who cared about people.
Jack may have been difficult on days, but he cared.
My husband and I are proud to have been his friends for so many years. We,too, have a collection of CD’s that Jack made for us with the “ top hits” of the 60’s, 70’s and the playlist that Jack loved.
We still play them, and I look down and see Jack’s handwriting on each one that says “ To David and Margo, from Jack.”
We shall never forget him. May you be in a better place, our friend.
Rest easy, Jack. We will miss you.
Dan, that was such a beautiful tribute to Jack Costello. Well done!
Dan…you knocked it out of the park with this tribute for Jack. It was ALWAYS a welcome treat to cross paths with Jack and Brenda whenever they ventured back to Lowell. I continue to think of him reuniting with his friend and arts contributor, Otto Erbar .
My deepest condolences to Brenda and the Costello family.❤️
Thank you for a wonderful tribute to a dear friend whom I
and others simply referred to as “The Master”. Sincerest sympathy to Brenda and all the Costellos…..Doyk
Jack was one of a kind. Tough to work for but his passion for what he thought was right was boundless. Great column that captured this complicated giant while sharing the good and bad sides of his persona.
To my dear friend Jack,
Ave Atque Vale…Hail and Farewell. We shared many laughs and memories which I will cherish forever. Your love of your family, your Catholic faith and commitment to Lowell’s civic wellbeing are hallmarks of your legacy.
I am honored and grateful to simply call you “meu amigo” (my friend).
May you Rest in Eternal Peace
You really captured him Dan
he would have loved it.
Thanks Dan for the wonderful tribute to my brother Jack. Brenda hit the nail
on the head when she said Jack would love I but it would need a few edits……..definitely above the fold!
My father instilled the sacred trust of The Sun in all of us but Jack held the banner highest and was the leader of the pack.
He was a stubborn, proud ,creative , sensitive and most caring man …….and the best dancing partner by far!
I will dearly miss him
Boy how he used to tease me and oh did I love it! Jack was a dry witted driving force in the success of so many parts of the Lowell community, especially the baseball team. He truly cared about the Spinners economic impact and how it improved the quality of life and pride for the Merrimack Valley. He never hesitated to tell me, “Don’t screw it up Shawny”. He always put a smile on my face and if I knew we were going to be at the same community event, he would be one of the first people I would seek out so he could poke fun at me and make me feel special. He pushed me when I needed to and praised me behind closed doors….both are tactics that motivated/motivate me. This is truly a sad time for his family and for greater Lowell but this community would not have thrived without his family. Thank you Jack. GOD BLESS YOU.
Paul and I both worked at The Sun for a combined 40 years. The Costello’s were kind, generous, caring.
Recently, after Paul was seriously injured in an accident, Jack Costello called. He asked if he could visit. Of course, we said yes. Because Jack was no longer driving, he asked if I could pick him up at the train in Lowell. He had taken the train from Newburyport to Boston and then a second train from Boston to Lowell. He was dressed like young hipster. Skinny jeans, sharp boots. He was so concerned for Paul and made sure to give him a pep talk. Jack made me stop the car so he could give a homeless person some cash. He brought Paul some of his custom c.d.s. We felt honored that Jack took the time and care to pay Paul a visit, it truly epitomized the kind of man he was. We will remember his visit and forever be grateful for the opportunity to work for the Costello’s. Jack was absolutely one of a kind
Great column, Dan. And love the comments here. I was at The Sun after Jack had sold but his presence still loomed large over everything we did on the political team with Sully. Of all the communities I covered, Lowell was definitely the one with the biggest sway on local decisions. That’s a credit to Jack and all the great people he hired. RIP, Jack.
There is no better roadmap to remember Jack than “Newsprint Ran In His Blood”.
Nice tribute to Jack Costello. I worked at The Sun between 1986-1990 covering schools, city council, etc. Nice to to see all the veteran journalists I once worked with quoted here. Kendall Wallace, Pat Cook, etc. I also found Jack intimidating, but he had a deep commitment to Lowell and to the news business. The Lowell Sun was a hard-hitting, fearless newspaper in its heyday and I was lucky to work there.
There was no bigger cheerleader for the City of Lowell than Jack Costello. I was proud to appoint him Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Between Jack and Tom McKay, they put the auditorium on the national entertainment map. May he Rest In Peace.
Jim Campbell
As news director for Lowell Cable Television’s “NewsCenter6” from 1992 – 1994, there wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t consult the multiple community editions of The Lowell Sun under Jack’s stewardship for guidance in leading us to the hot topics which demanded coverage in Lowell, Chelmsford and Tewksbury. I began as a newspaperman in high school writing a column for The Lynn Item and The Boston Globe and I transitioned to radio and television at Boston University. I’ve always loved newspapers and respected the hard work and dedication which goes into to producing a good one – one which digs and uncovers and one which glorifies and critiques local leaders and their communities. John H. Costello, Junior was a man of mystery and mystique to me since the first day I heard his name. I made one visit to The Sun in 1993, coincidently, the night Michael Jordan announced he was retiring from the Chicago Bulls – the first time. Someone in the sports department there mentioned it to me – perhaps it was you Dan. But I don’t think I ever met Jack during my tenure in Lowell. I’ve looked ferverishly for a photo of him and I can’t find one. So, like most people, I wouldn’t have known who he was if he walked past me on the street. But I know what he did. What he did was admirable. And, so, I salute him, as everyone else has on this thread, for the way he enriched the community, bolstered the community, and championed the community as a civic stalwart. Marcus Jones, NewsCenter6 Anchor/Reporter/News Director
I worked at The Sun from 1982 to 1989 and Jack C. was in his heyday then. Great article by Dan Phelps. It definitely sounds like the man I knew, with no sugarcoating.
I first knew him as ‘Jackie’ Costello in our teen years. Always a welcoming and fun guy. I got to know his Sun thru ace politics reporter, Frank Phillips, when I was a Councilor. Always kind to me , I remember the Sun’s commitment to Lowell’s improvement. Thanks, Jack. RIP Jackie!
Thanks for writing this Dan. Great job memorializing The Man who Ruled the Fourth Floor (no wonder everyone was so nice to me when I came up there). The piece actually reminded me of all the times that he wrote similar tributes for others in the community. Well done and much appreciated.
Dan, what a tremendous tribute. I echo everyone’s thoughts on how you captured who Jack was for those who knew him, but also those who didn’t know him well or at all. They’d be even more impressed if they knew you were able to put those thoughts together so eloquently in less than two hours!
To the Costello family, my condolences on your loss. I hope you are able to take some comfort in so many kind words being written and spoken about him.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Jack until one day last winter, when he came into my family’s restaurant, walked up to me and asked where he could “find that guy who started the new website.” After telling him we were speaking, he began offering to help our new venture in any way he could. Even said he’d love to write articles about Lowell, it’s people and the goings on. Still not knowing who he was, I naively asked if he had any writing experience. It was then that he finally introduced himself and I realized who I was speaking with. Unfortunately, he never did get to write any articles for us, but it was clear from our conversation and a brief follow up chat a few days later that he still cared deeply about the city and its people, and that he was still a journalist at heart.
May his memory be eternal.
Nicely done Dan! I really miss the good old days when we had a newspaper in Lowell. I also miss your always entertaining commentarys.
A thank you to Jack and all of the Costello family who gave the City one of the best newspapers in New England. Think so many Locals never ended their day without reading the Sun from front to back. Condolence to Branda and family. May Jack rest in peace.
George Hamel here. I was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Jack Costello, a larger-than-life figure who left an indelible mark on both the business world and the community. Jack was more than just ” the boss man. ” For over 40 years; he was a friend, a leader, a devoted family man, and a true inspiration to all who had the privilege of knowing him. A true Lowelian through and through such as myself.
The news of Jack’s passing truly marks the end of an era. It’s difficult to put into words what it was like to work alongside him. He had a presence that commanded respect, and his strong personality left an impression good or bad on everyone who crossed his path. It was undoubtedly a rollercoaster ride, filled with challenges and triumphs, but looking back, I can say with certainty we had a hell of a time.
I could go on and on with story after story because there are so many.
One of Jack’s unique quirks was his affinity for attending funerals. To many, this might seem unusual, but to him, it was a way to be with his people in Lowell – to stand among those who respected and looked up to him. He found significance in being around individuals who recognized his contributions and his role in the community. It was a reflection of his deep connection to Lowell and the people who called it home. ” It was as if Jack knew someone was going to die before they even knew it.”
As I reflect on the journey we shared, I am grateful for the experiences we had and all the days we spent reminiscing. We shared stories and laughs up until his final days.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences during this difficult time. Jack’s passing leaves a void that cannot be filled, but his legacy will continue. Deepest sympathy to Brenda,the kids and the Costello family .
Dan et al. – Thank you so much for these tributes to and stories of my father. He would have loved them.
My father was a complex and dynamic man, difficult to understand and even harder to describe! These stories capture the many dichotomies I appreciated in him. He was passionate, irreverent, and hard-headed, yet he was sensitive, fair, and had a heart of gold. He was serious, yet kid-like. He was dark, yet funny. He was talented and creative. He was competitive and always pushed the limits.
He taught me how to write. I would have trouble putting words down on a page. He would tell me, “Suzy, just write it the way you would say it.” (Dan- perhaps you got the same tutelage- your style reminded me of his!) I remember him telling me that the sports writing was the hardest, because the same things happened over and over, so it required the most creativity. It appears that my school essays received the same brutality as you poor Sun writers!
My father was a master editor. He knew exactly which words, photos, and music would make people feel something.
My dad loved The Sun, but he loved the City of Lowell more- it’s history and all it could offer in the future.
Like many daughters, I thought my father was larger than life. But now I know he really was.
As such, there is a giant void inside me now, but these stories are filling it up… keep ‘em coming.
I really enjoyed reading your article Dan. I especially liked your “Superman carrying around a lump of kryptonite” metaphor. Jack was a great guy and huge asset to the City of Lowell back in the “heyday.” You are right, those were the good old days. My condolences to Brenda and the Costello family.
My deepest condolences to the Costello family. Jack was one of the best I enjoyed our times in Florida. We had a tremendous amount of fun many of times in Naples and Bonita Bay. We used to love playing his CDs dancing on the roof of his car and having the best time ever he was one of the best I also enjoyed hanging around in Newburyport, and going to Plumber island to have a lobster roll walk the beach and have a great conversation. He was truly inspirational to many I could go on and on about such a wonderful guy he will be missed by many in the lowell area and beyond thank you Jack for being such a wonderful friend
Excellent tribute, Phelpsie. Jack was a real newspaperman. I’m the better for having known him.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him.
Jack, Kendall and Carol McQuaid hired me in 1983 as a lifestyle reporter during the Sun’s glory days. Jack was tough but fair, and he was on top te latest trends and happenings in all aspects of life- politics, sports, entertainment, gossip. We worked hard and we played hard and I never regretted coming to work for him. I’m shocked that he is gone – a great cheerleader for Lowell and a consummate newsman. You captured him perfectly, Dan! May he Rest In Peace 💕
Hold on a minute there Phelpsie! Jack told me I was his best hire. (italics on I).
Other than that nice job.
I could give you some good stuff about Jack on the golf course. Especially when he was with Buddy McCay (“Shoulda coulda woulda”) But I’ll let it slide.
As sports editor under Jack’s great shadow for so many years I can honestly say we lost a legend. Condolences to Brenda and the clan.
Beautiful tribute. My deepest sympathy to the Costellos
Well done, Dan. (Jack always encouraged me to write short.)
Thank you, Dan! Jack Costello known as “The Master” was truly a Renaissance Man. Much like other great leaders he did not suffer fools. Jack showed up with his “A Game” and he expected those around him to deliver their best. Jack was extremely competent and competitive at just about everything he tried. If he took a liking to something new he went deep and he possessed the curiosity, the drive and the intellect to make it happen. The Master was highly proficient in a variety of disconnected interests. A masterful writer who was a jock, loved art and music. Jack was a winner, a natural leader and a great teacher. Jack and Brenda… the entire Costello Family are great people who enjoyed life. We were all fortunate to enjoy Jack’s creativity…seldom bored!
Upon Jack’s arrival the music in Heaven is a bit louder and perhaps a touch more eclectic. The wiffle ball is being taped and Jack is trying to get the edge while choosing his team.
I met Jack post his days at newspaper; however the newspaper never left Jack. He was funny, loved music and made all of us music from the year we graduated high school. He was cautiously adventurous going to restorative yoga ( I fell asleep and he never let me forget it), Crystal bowl meditation where he sat and giggled. As funny as he could be, he could also drive me crazy but our Newburyport crew loved him and Brenda who was truly his rock.
Jack will be missed RIP
Dan – wow. I never met Jack but heard lots about the legend. Thank you for this brilliant color and tribute. You are an excellent storyteller and I’m sure Jack is grateful that you have told a piece of his.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jack, Brenda, Charlotte and Andy. Jack was a true newsman. He believed in and supported the importance of a strong community newspaper that acted as a watchdog and an advocate for everyone and each town and city it served. In my brief interaction with Jack, he still had the passion that we all used to feel about newspapers and the value and importance they had in our daily lives. My condolences to all of his family members and friends. He was one of a kind!
Mark
So well written, Dan, and honestly remembered. He would loved all of these treasured tributes. Jack himself was a treasure, a friend, a proud husband, dad and “Grumpy.” He was an impossible perfectionist on a deadline who drove many of us crazy in our efforts to meet his standards. He championed our 3 All-Star sports banquets a year (looking over Dennis’ shoulder.) He hovered over The Santa Fund, The Spelling bees, High School Journalism program and Newspapers in Education. He was so proud of our “Mock Election,” where we had more than 30,000 students voting in a “national election,” more than that bigger newspaper in Boston. Man he relished that!
He adored his family, his newspaper, his community and all those served by The Sun. And then there were the tee shirts… can’t even go there. I loved him and his passion for excelllence. Heartfelt sympathies to beautiful, loving Brenda, John, Pete, Nicole and Suzy and his “grands.” Love to Charlotte, Tom, Alex and Andy. Remembering John Sr, Peggy and Dana who are holding him closely now. His Sun family has and willl always miss our boss.
If heaven has a newspaper, God’s eyes are already rolling. Rest in peace, my dear friend.
What a wonderful tribute to a Great Man! As a “ Blow-In” from Buffalo NY 27 years ago, I was so impressed that Lowell had such a terrific local newspaper. It’s so sad to see the passing of that Great Era.
Some of my best childhood memories are of Lowell as youth reading those front page stories above and below the crease of The Sun as I delivered my paper route by skateboard through Belvedere seven days a week for at least five years in the 80s. And then there were the adventures at the Costello house where we kids would explore the hundreds of albums in Jack’s music room while we contemplated the next home movies we were in midst of filming. I remember downtown photography trips with JC III, the Tour de Lowell, The Beach Boys concert with Michael MacDonald at Cawley and Lowell Folk Festival all of which Jack had a hand in to encourage us and build up the Lowell community. And I can’t forget meeting Jack a number of times on his own bicycle around the neighborhood. Thanks Jack. My condolences to the Costello family.
Thanks to all who have commented and who have fond memories of Jack through The Sun or another connection. It was a pleasure to know him and to work for him and The Sun at a time when the local newspaper was king and the folks who worked for The Sun were like a big, happy, slightly dysfunctional family. My condolences to Jack’s family.
Wonderful column Dan, and my deepest condolences to the Costello family. He knew what a quality newspaper should deliver, had a passion for the Sun, and together with Kendall Wallace, steered the Sun through its very best days. While I was a photographer at the Sun from 1978-82, Jack repeatedly insisted on to the best quality, and he was a reason I won several photojournalism awards. Rest in peace Jack, and thanks.