Madeline Kostinden

Madeline Kostinden, 89, of Stoneham, Massachusetts, passed away on March 4, 2019 at the Courtyard Nursing Care Center in Medford, Massachusetts with her children by her side.

Madeline was born in Boston on November 25, 1929, to the parents of Joseph and Teresa (D'Amelio) Gregory. Madeline grew up in East Boston with her 3 brothers: Anthony, Robert, and Edward. Madeline graduated from Boston Girl's High School, then attended and graduated from the Boston Clerical/Business School after completing the 2 ½ year secretarial course. In 1955, while working as a waitress at the Memory Lane Restaurant in Somerville, she met her husband, George Kostinden, of Somerville, Massachusetts. After dating for a couple of years, Madeline and George ran off to the Poconos to get married on September 2, 1957. While raising her 3 children in their apartment in Somerville and their home in Stoneham, Madeline worked various temporary assignments as a secretary for employment agencies Manpower, Office Specialist, and Kelly Girl. One of Madeline's favorite assignments was working as a secretary at Acorn Steel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was through Kelly Girl that Madeline landed a full-time position at John Hancock Insurance Company's Department of Special Activities, Investigative. Madeline's role in this position was to locate policyholders for unclaimed matured policies. Madeline was always so proud and excited to share her stories of how she was able to locate the policyholders by making many phone calls to family members, contacting municipal offices, agencies, and researching other public records. She accomplished all of this well before the internet! Upon retirement from John Hancock after 13 years of service, Madeline utilized her very talented artistic skills in various medias. One of these medias was hydrocal ceramic figures, in which Madeline enjoyed going to hydrocal class with her friends to paint various hydrocal figures, that are today, still cherished by her family. Madeline also worked a part time job at a local bird feed/supply store in Reading, Massachusetts, where Madeline started painting birdhouses. She sold some of these through the store and at local horticultural plant sale events under the name "Maddy's Birdhouses". These birdhouses were beautiful, resulting in repeat customers and some commissioned custom birdhouses.

Madeline loved the annual family vacations along the coast of Maine, and taking her children to different activities during their summer school vacations. Later in life, Madeline would provide the same devotion and love to her grandchildren. Madeline enjoyed going to Bingo with her friends, cross stitching, and collecting ceramic owls. She also loved pets.
Madeline was the center of the family, ruled the household, would do anything for the family, and loved her children and grandchildren. These virtues remained through the last days of her life.

Madeline is survived by her husband, George Kostinden of Stoneham, Massachusetts; her son James Kostinden and wife Debra of Holliston, Massachusetts; her daughter Carol Finnegan and her husband Thomas of Plymouth, Massachusetts; and her daughter Diane Kostinden of Stoneham, Massachusetts. She also leaves two grandchildren, Colleen Mathews and her husband Richard of Georgetown, Massachusetts; and Sean Finnegan of Cumberland, Rhode Island; and two great-grandchildren, Richard and Emma Mathews. Madeline was predeceased by one of her grandchildren, Kara Finnegan (1989-1991).
Madeline is also survived by two of her three siblings: Anthony Gregory (predeceased) and his wife Jean of Florida; Robert Gregory and his wife Art of Groveland, Massachusetts; and Edward Gregory and his wife Dorothy (predeceased) of Wakefield, Massachusetts and Edward's companion, Jane Coonrod. In addition, Madeline is survived by her many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

Her funeral will be held in the McDonald-Finnegan Funeral Home, 322 Main Street, Stoneham on Saturday, March 9 at 11am. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the Funeral Home prior to the service beginning at 9am. Interment, Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.
The family would like to thank the Compassionate Care Hospice team; Katie, Maddy, Brenda, Chaplin Tim, and Chaplin Caty for their loving help during Madeline's last weeks.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org.

March 09, 2019
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

McDonald - Finnegan Funeral Home
322 Main St.
Stoneham, MA 02180

March 09, 2019
11:00 AM

McDonald - Finnegan Funeral Home
322 Main St.
Stoneham, MA 02180