REAL WEST VIRGINIAN OF THE WEEK: Guy Costello
Although “Thomas” is his middle name, “Giving” would be more fitting. Need a hand with home repair? Meal delivery on a lonely holiday? A fresh Easter bread bun or home-canned Italian goodies? Guy Costello is your guy.
A Clarksburg native and lifetime resident, Guy is the son of second-generation Italian parents hailing from San Giovanni in Fiore, Calabria province, in the toe of Italy’s boot. Dante and Mary Costello made their home in Clarksburg’s own Little Italy, that is, the Glen Elk neighborhood adjacent to downtown. It was there Guy learned and carried on the traditions of Italian food from his parents and aunts, like canned peppers in red sauce or spicy oil in late August; crisp, thin pizzelle cookies and wine-infused pita piata rolls for Christmas; pane di pasqua, known locally as Easter bread, in April.
For decades, Guy traveled winding back roads through Harrison County to Taylor County, arriving early to his neat-as-a-pin classroom at Flemington High School and then Taylor County Middle, where he taught English and World history to students who remember him as “like Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society but not as eccentric.”
Retirement in 2000 was merely a formality for the guy who gives the word “busy” a run for its money. With newfound downtime, Guy’s community service took on new life. Along with his beloved wife of 54 years, Minnie, he passes the days do-gooding — delivering his homemade Italian goods to friends, family, and even local bank tellers, all planned out in a handwritten spreadsheet each year.
Along with his contribution to local foodways, Guy is a self-taught “Bob Villa” known for his relentless (or stubborn, if you ask his wife) approach to home improvement, whether at his own home or a family member’s — not stopping for a minute until the job is done. Legend says that new rooms and wooden decks would appear out of nowhere whenever Guy and a hammer were in the same place.
Guy lives out the servant-leader ethos found in the gospels of Matthew and Mark, which he knows well as deacon at Family of God Freewill Baptist. True to form, he dedicates his heart and soul to his role at the church. God comes first, but family is his greatest joy on Earth, amplified by grandsons Zion and Lazaro, who call him Nanoo in the Italian tradition.
If you ask anyone around town, they’ll tell you that Guy Costello, he’s a real good guy. For all those reasons, we are proud to name Guy Costello as the certified Real West Virginian of the Week.
Have a nominee for future weeks? Email us at news@therealwv.com.
