Janet Ruth Costa
March 21, 1937 ~ March 24, 2024 (age 87)

Mrs. Janet Ruth (Hassler) Costa died peacefully in her Florida home on Sunday, March 24, 2024, at the age of 87.

Janet is survived by her husband of 63 years, John; her son John Bradley and his wife Annluise "Mimi", along with their children Molly, James, and Anna of Sanford, FL; daughter-in-law Alda Maria and grandchildren Joseph, Serena, Gabriella, and Marco Costa of Stoughton, MA.; her brother William Hassler and wife Elaine of Palmyra, NY; brother-in-law Gary Lashway of Columbia, SC; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She is preceded in death by her son Ralph Douglas Costa (Alda), of Stoughton, MA and her sister Lola H. Lashway (Gary) of Columbia, SC.

Born on March 21, 1937, in Canandaigua, NY, Janet was the daughter of Ralph J. and Beatrice May (McMillan) Hassler. She graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo with a degree in Elementary Education. Janet taught third grade in Hastings and Corning, NY. She married John, a professor of mechanical engineering, on September 2, 1961. The couple moved to Fairfield, CT, where she raised her children, Ralph and John, and continued to volunteer in remedial reading and motor skills development at Riverfield Elementary. She later and worked as a substitute teacher in the Fairfield County school district. Janet and John enjoyed decades of travel and exploration throughout the Americas and Europe.

A devoted wife, mother, and friend, Janet was also a confident role model who passed her passion for the French horn and piano on to her children and grandchildren. She enriched the lives of everyone she encountered with positivity and kindness. She is greatly missed.

A mass, celebrating Janet's life, is scheduled for May 31, 2024, at 12 noon at Saint Pius X Parish, 834 Brookside Drive in Fairfield, Connecticut. Interment will take place on June 3rd at 2:30 PM at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Avenue, Buzzards Bay, MA.

Condolences may be sent to her husband John at 378 Fox Hill, Debary, FL. In lieu of flowers, Janet suggested donations be made in her name to All Soul's Catholic School in Sanford, FL or to Saint John School in Canton, MA.