OBITUARY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5421, 8 May 1929, Page 2

OBITUARY.

MR. JAMES COSTELLO. Hauraki Plains mourns the loss of a good man in the person of Mr James Costello, who passed away at ’Pukekohe on Monday afternoon. His death was not unexpected, as he had been ill for some years, and during the last few weeks had been too unwell to continue giving his services to the Hauraki Plains Farmers’ Veterinary Club. Sick leave v had been granted him from time to time, and at the annual meeting on Friday last his resignation was accepted. The end was peaceful, but for some weeks he suffered great pain. Mr Costello was born at Parnell, Auckland, 55 years ago, and was trained as a veterinary surgeon. He practiced his profession in various parts of the Dominion and Australia, and in the ten years prior’ to coming to the Plains he built up a very extensive practice in the Pukekohe district. He was farming in the Patetonga district for about two years, and when the proposal to form a veterinary club in the western part of the Hauraki Plains was mooted he delivered lectures to farmers at Waitakaruru and Ngatea on veterinary topics and the advantages of a elub. So favourable an impression did these addresses create that when the Farmers’ Veterinary Club was actually formed in July, 1921, he was appointed its veterinarian. This position he held until a few days ago, and it was undoubtedly due to having Mr Costello that the club was able to continue in existence for a longer period than any other such club in New Zealand or Australia has existed.

A practical man who profited by his experience, a student and an investigator, he proved an - ideal officer for such a district as the Hauraki Plains, where problems quite outside the scope of general veterinary science were • encountered almost daily. While keeping abreast of the latest practice in his profession, he was able to formulate treatments and remedies suitable for local needs, and had he commercialised these instead of giving them willingly to the members of the club he served his reputation would possibly have extended far and wide. His genial disposition won him many friends. , A keen follower of sport, and Rugby football in particular, he was connected with football clubs all his life, and on the formation of the Hauraki Plains Rugby Union he became its first president, and held the position for many years. His love of horses attracted him to racing and trotting, and there was hardly an organisation connected with horses in this part of the province that did not number him among its officials as honorary veterinary surgeon. His love of animals was such that he would rather risk the ire of. his employers than let them suffer pain while he could do anything to relieve them.

Mr Costello died peacefully at the residence of his daughter, Mrs F. W. Stembridge, Pukekohe, on Monday afternoon. A Requiem Mass was conducted in the morning, and the first part of the burial service was conducted at St. Patrick’s Church. A very large number of Plains people were present, including representatives of all the clubs and committees he had been associated with. Four of his sons and two of his sons-in-law acted as pall-bearers. He leaves a widow, a family of nine, and. several grandchildren, all of whom are at Pukekohe, Patetonga, or Ngatea, and to them will be extended the sympathy of a wide circle of friends.