A celebration of the lives of Ray and Wanda Costellow of Athens is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 18, 2023, at Hannigan Smith Funeral Home.
Mr. and Mrs. Costellow passed away in Athens on February 25, 2023.
Nilas Ray Costellow was born on January 8, 1944, in Jasper, Texas, the son of Rudolph Hays Costellow and Artie Louise (McKeithen) Costellow. Wanda Louise (Dickerson) Costellow was born on October 23, 1945, in Lamesa, Texas, the daughter of Nolen Delton Dickerson and Meda Louise (Harris) Dickerson. Ray and Wanda met while working at Curtis Mathes in Athens and married in November 1965. Ray was a computer engineer and worked with numerous I.T. companies throughout Texas during his career, and Wanda was a purchasing agent. Ray was brilliant and a talented crafter who enjoyed tinkering and engaging in conversations with family and friends. Wanda enjoyed reading, doing jigsaw puzzles, and listening to all genres of music but mainly jazz and blues. She was funny, headstrong, and loved her family deeply. They will both be missed by all those that knew and loved them.
They were preceded in death by their parents; and Ray’s siblings, Terry Costellow, Lloyd Costellow, and Irene McKeithen.
Survivors include Ray’s brother, Joel Costellow of Haslett; Wanda’s siblings, Delton Dickerson and wife Annie of Athens, Tina Beaird of Fort Worth, Laverne Shankles and husband Mike of Duncanville, Golan Dickerson of Athens; and numerous nieces and nephews on both sides of the family.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Hannigan Smith Funeral Home family.