Thomas K. Costa

Thomas Kirby Costa, 70, of Dighton, husband of Doreen (Motta) Costa, passed away Monday, November 9, 2020 after a brief illness at Charlton Memorial Hospital.

Tom was born on December 17, 1949, in Fall River, MA to the late Manuel and Hazel (Oliver) Costa. He was the loving grandson of Joseph and Mabel (Curt) Oliver.

Tom grew up in Fall River where as a youth he excelled in various sports, especially in basketball and baseball. He was known throughout the city as a great pitcher who had thrown multiple no-hitters to help his teams win various city championships.

Although he loved sports, his real passion was music which was a lifelong endeavor. He started at a young age playing drums in his grandmother’s minstrel shows. Throughout his high school years, he could be seen playing at various venues throughout the area. He took his passion for drumming and turned it into a musical career where he was able to travel the world playing with various bands, alongside the Jerry Lewis band.

In addition to his music career, he worked in the clothing industry which started when he opened Kirby’s Shoes in Fall River in the ‘80s. After a few years, he combined his shoe store with Professional Image clothing where he spent years helping people look and feel their best for any occasion. He continued in the clothing industry where he developed a loyal customer base working at Macy’s suit department and Jos. A Bank Clothiers, where he ultimately retired. Like his lifelong customers, he was always dressed to the nines. You would never find Tom in a pair of jeans!

He loved to travel anywhere it was warm where you would always find Tom soaking up the sun on his face. He was a simple man who enjoyed the simple things in life such as having his family around, playing with his dog Baxter, listening to his favorite music and hosting holiday parties where he shared many laughs with family, friends and band members.

Although he loved sports, music, clothing and traveling, nothing beat his love for his family, especially his wife Doreen of 20 years. She was the love of his life! He loved nothing more than spending time with her, whether it be taking drives around town in their convertible, going out to dinner or just relaxing watching TV on their big screen.

Besides his wife, Tom is survived by his loving sister, Cynthia Boucher (late husband Gerald) of Westport; niece, Nicole Power (husband Derek) of Dartmouth, their two daughters Kayleigh and Alaina; and two step-children, Jessica Platt (husband David) of Newport and Jeffrey Desrosiers of Assonet.

His funeral service will be held Saturday at 9:00 AM at the Auclair Funeral Home, 690 So. Main St., Fall River. Burial, St. Patrick's Cemetery.

A visitation will be held Friday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to American Heart Assn., PO Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241.

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