Vincent P. Costa

October 13, 1950 - December 19, 1993

CH. Cloud Cap P.T. Barnum CDX

April 22, 1983 - April 6, 1989

joined now by P.T. Barnum's sister Cloud Cap E.M.I.L.Y. for Him

September 17, 1989 - March 27, 1999

Eulogy delivered at Vinnie's service by Sherry Zbar

(Vinnie, who was often late, would have loved that his body

missed his airplane, almost missing his own funeral)

Vinnie, my closest friend for nearly 25 years, was murdered.

visit my link DIAGNOSIS: CRIME WITH A BRIEFCASE

The remainder of my life is dedicated to efforts

to expose the Government cover-up

that protects Vinnie's murderer

and the criminals who defrauded me, my Company and shareholders.

I have the evidence that is sufficient to successfully prosecute six

individuals.

A proper criminal investigation would lead to the successful conviction

of not less than six additional thieves

disguised as prominent and influential executives.

VINNIE, AS LONG AS I HAVE LIFE, I WILL SEEK JUSTICE.

THANK YOU FOR THE STRENGTH

YOUR LOVE HAS GIVEN ME.

VINCENT P. COSTA

Some men are great.

They distinguish themselves in the marketplace, in sports,

in school or in their careers.

But some men are important...because they are good.

They distinguish themselves, everyday,

in the hearts of those they love and care for.

Vinnie was not the greatest of men.

But he was the best of men.

What made Vinnie the best?

Vinnie was my best friend for most of my adult life,

ever since I met him that memorable July 4th.

It is difficult to contemplate my life now

without his special brand of joyfulness and compassion

filling almost every crevice of time.

He gave me the childhood giggles that I welcomed as an adult.

His example, every day, made me realize that playfulness is a form of

nurturing...

that it can replenish the soul and heal its wounds,

balm its burdens.

VINNIE WAS THE BEST AT LOVE

We all try to be successful at life.

But Vinnie knew that success in life was not measured in material

things,

but in matters of the heart.

He knew that

To Be was so much more important than To Have.

He was The Best at Love.

He knew how to give love and how to show love.

And Vinnie loved everyone...

his family, his friends: George, Angela, Tony, Anna, Lenny, Andrea,

Joe, Roger, Eddie, Will, Bill, Jeff, Jill, Karen, Scott, Beth, Dorothy,

Koony, Wendy, all of Fairfield Racquet Club, all of MediBar...

names too numerous to mention.

Of course, I know, he also loved me.

My dogs were given his love and devotion as if they were his children...

 

he loved his friends' cats, his co-workers,

store merchants, salesmen, repairmen...

everyone.

VINNIE COULD SHOW HIS LOVE

Most importantly, Vinnie could show his love... by being a friend.

Not only to those with whom he was intimate...

but to those whose path he crossed every day.

The security guards in the gatehouse where I lived

to whom he brought hot coffee...

Phil at the deli at our New Jersey office who Vinnie sat and gabbed

with.

 

The crew that cleaned the office.

Vinnie taught me... taught all of us... how to love.

He was a living example of the pinnacle of love in everyday life.

He was not judgmental, discriminating or intolerant.

He was the rare person who could weigh the faults of others

without putting his thumb on the scales.

He knew how to get real value out of relationships.

He knew the secret. The secret was in his heart.

He liked everyone. I never once heard him utter

a critical remark or offensive comment about anyone.

He knew that the time is always right to do what is right for someone

else.

He often took better care of others than of himself.

VINNIE TAUGHT OTHERS HOW TO LOVE

Because he was the best at love, Vinnie had the rarest of gifts...

he could teach others to love.

I work with a successful corporation. It is a company built upon

Vinnie's special brand of love.

Our mission is to compassionately serve the needs of those

who are sick, in pain and in need.

And it was Vinnie who taught me how to feel the pain of others

and how to nurture.

Everyone needs a teacher. Vinnie was my teacher.

And the lesson I learned from Vinnie was the inspiration

that led to the company's birth.

In the course of the development of the company's culture,

Vinnie's principles are the core of the company.

To recognize his special contribution,

we have established an annual award in his memory,

The Vincent P. Costa Memorial Award,

established to recognize an employee who demonstrates

those qualities for which Vinnie stood:

exceptional caring service, compassion, sensitivity to our patients'

perceived needs and concerns,

and the ability to interact with associates in a manner

that fosters teamwork, fellowship and mutual support...

 

To recognize Vinnie's ability to acknowledge the serious issues in life

while retaining a sense of humor

and the ability to retain the spirit of youth

and always to be young among old friends...

and care for their personal preferences and choices

without passing judgment.

 

I am so grateful to Vinnie for lending us his gifts,

even though it was for too short a time.

And our clients will be forever grateful, too.

Just last week Vinnie actually saved a life.

In my tradition, it is said that

the one who saves a single life has saved the entire world.

In typical Vinnie style, he rejected the accolades he so richly deserved.

Vinnie left us a few days ago fulfilled

because he was a success at something he very much enjoyed.

VINNIE TAUGHT ME HOW TO PLAY

Vinnie taught me how to play.

Let me share just one of hundreds of examples.

Vinnie had a Zippo lighter. It was engraved with a heart encircling the names

"Margaret and Ernest, April 4th, 1964."

Vinnie told me that he never could remember a time when

he didn't own this lighter and he didn't have a clue who

Margaret or Ernest were.

For many, many years, Vinnie and I hosted dinner parties

to honor Margaret and Ernest's anniversary.

We looked forward to celebrating their upcoming 30th anniversary

and planned a formal affair complete with triple-tiered wedding cake.

It is with enormous pain that I let go of our friends

Margaret and Ernest,

because they, too, are now gone.

VINNIE'S LEGACY

Sometimes the poorest man

leaves the richest inheritance.

Vinnie has gone to life everlasting,

but a sense of his presence will abide with all of us.

We were all enriched by his light.

He belongs to eternity now, but he belongs eternally to us

for the good life and the full life he lived.

His life was a blessing to us all.

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Nominee for the Heartland Good Citizens Award

"And I believe there are angels among us..."

Last updated 8 July 1999

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