Feb. 22, 1972 – Jan. 6, 2025
West Boylston – Mary Ellen Costa, 52, of West Boylston, formerly of Shrewsbury, passed away unexpectedly at her home on Monday, January 6, 2025.
Mary Ellen was predeceased by her loving father, Eugene M. Costa of Shrewsbury, in 2018 and leaves behind her loving mother, Carol A. (Frenier) Walsh, of Rye, NH as well as her sisters, Rachel A. Alva of Gulf Stream, FL, Kimberly M. Foley and her husband Michael of Osterville, MA, and Nicole E. Conaton and her husband John of North Andover, MA.
“Auntie Mimi” leaves her nieces and nephews, Nicholas, Harrison, and Maxwell Alva; M. Tyler and his wife Halie, Olivia, and Owen Foley; and Emily and Jack Conaton. In addition, Mary Ellen leaves behind many dear friends who assisted and loved her in immeasurable ways throughout her health struggles, including but not limited to Monica, Beth, Linda, and Patty.
Despite her many health concerns and constraints due to such, she was very proud of her education and career accomplishments.
Upon graduating with her RN from Villanova University in 1994, Mary Ellen began her career at New York University Medical Center in the Neurosurgery Department and never looked back. She traveled internationally presenting medical research studies as she made a name for herself in her field. She forged lifelong relationships with her mentors, namely Dr. Paul Cooper and Dr. Anthony “Tony” Frempong-Boadu with whom she remained in contact her entire life.
She was proud to be a New Yorker as Mary Ellen continued her education with two masters degrees in healthcare from New York University and became a Neurosurgical nurse practitioner until her career was interrupted by her health limitations. This was devastating to Mary Ellen and she renewed her licensure for years afterward to stay connected to the field she loved.
To honor Mary Ellen’s life, visiting hours will be held on Monday, January 13, 2025 from 4:00 – 7:00pm at Chiampa Funeral Home, 5 Church Road, Shrewsbury, MA. A funeral mass will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at St. Mary’s Church, 640 Main Street, Shrewsbury. Interment will follow at Mountain View Cemetery, Shrewsbury.
