Obituary of Chantal Costello

Chantal Madeleine Olleris 1928-2021 Chantal Madeleine Olleris Costello passed away peacefully in Fort Myers on August 13, 2021 at the age of 92. Her daughter was by her side while she heard the voices of her 5 other children by phone. She was a mighty witness for how to endure and battle a debilitating illness with grace and courage. Her spirit is in heaven but she will leave lasting memories and illustrations of a life well-lived. Chantal was born in Dijon, France on November 10, 1928. She was an avid traveler, loved adventure and exploring the uncharted paths of life. She had an amazing sense of humor and enjoyed connecting with people. Chantal had an ardent domestic side being schooled as a young woman in the art of homemaking. She racked up all A+’s in the process and flaunting her domestication degree as a young wife and mother. She especially loved sewing and cooking, showing off her famous French cuisine. She met her husband, of 24 years, in Italy where he was stationed with the U.S. Navy. They later moved to the states after the birth of their first child. Moving was an art form to the young couple as they relocated with the Navy moving from Monterey California to Rhode Island and many states in between. Chantal was accustomed to the change since she lived as a young girl in many places including Algiers where her father was stationed with the French Army. Despite her move to the U.S., she pledged allegiance to her family and home country of France returning every few years to reconnect. Many of her trips were accompanied by her kids and grandkids as she proudly introduced them to their French heritage and French family. She later would teach French in school. Chantal had an amazing ear and musical talent which has been passed down to many of her kids and grandkids. She played the piano, harmonica and flute. She loved the melodic tunes of French songs and sang French lullabies to her children and grandchildren during their youth. She loved to dance and often told stories of her ability to dance the can can, a popular dance in French cabaret that requires incredible strength and endurance. She shared tales of love, family and heartache as she told stories of her childhood including the distressing event of having her father, a General in the French Resistance arrested by the Nazis from their family home in the French countryside when she was a young teenager. Her father would spend the remainder of the war in a series of concentration camps with uncertainty about his whereabouts and fate. Miraculously, he was liberated by the allied forces and rejoined his family where he built a chapel fulfilling his promise to God for answering his prayers to see his family again. The painful trials of endurance and stamina infused Chantal with incredible strength, perseverance and independence which she instilled into the hearts and minds of her children. Chantal is survived by her 6 children, Patrick (Evelyn) Costello, Eric (Sheryl) Costello, Carole Costello, Nadine (Bill) Wilkes Young, Gerald (Delena) Costello, Dominique (Jim) Blume and her 18 grandchildren Ryan (Denise) Costello, Phil (Tiffany) Costello, Austin Costello, Jordan Costello, Anna (Joseph) Osden, Araalyn Yeatts, Alex (Jacquie) Wilkes, Kevin Wilkes, Sean Wilkes, Grayson Wilkes, Jennifer (Ryan) de Ridder, Stephen Costello, Christopher (Hollie) Costello, Sarah Costello, Brittney (Chris) Bartz, Stephanie (Asheton) Hoverkamp, Jeffrey Blume and Rachel Blume, and 7 great grandchildren; Addison Blume, Levi and Kade Wilkes, Audrey and Camille de Ridder, Marley Hoverkamp, and Leah and Isabella Osden. We love you and miss you Chantal, Mom, Grandma