Donn Costanzo Obituary
February 8, 1932 ~ August 3, 2024 (age 92)
Mr. Donn Julian Costanzo, age 92, died peacefully in his beloved Tega Cay lakefront home on August 3, 2024.
Donn was born in Greenwich, Connecticut to Dr. Ralph Edward Costanzo and Stella Marie Petrelli Costanzo as the younger brother to Ralph, Junior. He attended Fairfield Preparatory School, Stamford High and Mount Hermon School for Boys where he began to showcase two defining attributes in his wrestling and outing club activities: a super-human strength and insatiable love of the outdoors. After a year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Donn joined the Air Force where he was certified as a photo interpretation specialist for the 801 st Reconnaissance unit. In his four years of service, he received the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal.
In his first formal resume, he notes that he “took a series of aptitude and preference tests which placed (him) in the 99-percentile range for mechanical aptitude.” All who had the pleasure of knowing Donn would concur that his mechanical aptitude was one of many special gifts. Hundreds of friends and family members had something repaired or enhanced by Donn when others had failed.
Donn was an entrepreneur, operating his own company called C-Kart Boats and subsequently becoming a multi-year top performing salesman for Branson Instruments. However, his most memorable job was in the Bahamas, which became his favorite paradise location and where he further developed his love of boating and machinery problem solving. He would never have left had it not been for the ultimatum from the great love of his life, Helen Chaskelis Costanzo, whom he utterly adored for 49 years until her death in 2012. With her at the helm, they created a non-stop lifetime of family adventures along with their two children, Donn Jr. and Dena, who were later joined by their spouses, Delaney Costanzo and Rick Roten. Donn was also hugely influential and a regular participant in family events with his 5 grandchildren: Cam Roten (Tani Henderson), Chase Roten (Melissa Roten), Chandler Roten, Kendall Costanzo and Kylie Costanzo as well as 1 great granddaughter, Eleanor Henderson.
Age had no meaning for Donn, who became an iconic, semi-annual regular at Daytona bike week, including the one this past spring which he attended on his Can-Am with a specially designed trailer for his traveling wheelchair. Donn also had a strong and long-tenured group of friends with whom he and Helen enjoyed countless trips, projects, and outings.
Over the course of his 9+ decades, Donn had few regrets and many moments of joy for an action-packed life lived only and exactly as he decided it should be. Rest in peace, Captain Donn.
Memorial services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on August 12, 2024 at Palmetto Funeral Home, 2049 Carolina Place, Fort Mill, SC 29708. As Donn always preferred “loud” shirts for special events, please feel free to dress accordingly.
A celebration of life reception will immediately follow at the home of Donn and Delaney Costanzo, 31008 Executive Point Drive, Tega Cay, SC 29708.
