Cornelius John Costello II, known as John or Con to his family, 77, of Druid Hill, Front Royal, Virginia, passed away on May 29, 2024 after a herculean battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

John was born on September 12, 1946 to Cornelius “Connie” John Costello and Virginia “Yank” Anne Heinz Costello in Danville, Virginia.

John served in the United States Army before matriculating at Boston University and ultimately Harvard University. In Boston, he explored various businesses including a quiche bakery and real estate investing, ultimately identifying as a true entrepreneur.

In 1980, John married his beloved wife, Janet Braidwood, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and they moved to Virginia where their daughters, Ashley and Lindsey, were born. John started a chimney lining business and a multitude of other small businesses, including Cherrydale Apartments in Front Royal.

John was curious about law, engineering, architecture, design, and finance, and carried those interests into his various businesses and projects. John was committed to his community and a member of Rotary International and a volunteer for Camp Fantastic. He believed deeply in education and over the years contributed to countless independent schools including his alma mater, Sacred Heart Academy in Danville.

He and Braidwood loved to travel and shared that passion with their daughters in trips all over the world. John loved to ski and he enjoyed teaching others to ski, eventually obtaining a Level II certification with the Professional Ski Instructors of America. Above all, John Costello was a family man and was happiest at Druid Hill, gazing over the Blue Ridge Mountains, sitting with his best friend and wife of 44 years and his daughters.

John was predeceased by his parents, Connie and Virginia.

He is survived by his wife, Braidwood Costello; his daughters, Ashley Costello of Washington, D.C. and Lindsey Costello Wendel along with her husband, Matthew Wendel, of Burke, Virginia; and granddaughter, Hannah Wendel; as well as five brothers and sisters and extended Costello family.

Since 2010, John participated in a landmark, longitudinal study that contributed to over 2000 research articles and to the discovery of new biomarker and brain imaging techniques to diagnose and treat memory problems. This accelerated neuroscience is making a difference for countless people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. If you feel moved by John’s contribution, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association or to a local dementia support group in your own community in his name. John benefited from services at Insight Memory Care Center of Fairfax, Virginia and Senior Friendship Center of Venice, Florida.

Services will be held at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. Visitation with the family will occur at Maddox Funeral Home in Front Royal, Virginia on Thursday, June 6, 2024 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.