Carolyn Sue Costello

Carolyn Sue (Dudley) Costello was born on October 11, 1946, in Manchester, Iowa, and died at her home, according to her wishes, on December 24, 2025, in Boise, Idaho. She was surrounded by loving family, including Terrance, her husband of 58 years, and their two children, Dan and Eve.

One of the first women to graduate from the Forestry School at the University of Minnesota, Carolyn was a lifelong advocate of personal freedom and continuing education, in and out of the classroom. Decades after obtaining her first degree, she pursued and obtained a second, in horticulture, from Boise State University. She enjoyed many years guiding gardeners to their “perfect plants” at Garden Center West.

She will be missed for her quick wit, her encyclopedic knowledge of history, and her thoughtful home-cooked meals, special holiday treats, and creativity in a variety of crafts, from knitting and quilting to découpage, sewing, and herbs. She took great pride in being frugal, appreciating life for its small pleasures, and maintaining a loving, cozy home.

No memorial event is planned at this time. Carolyn’s ashes will be released by her family sometime in the coming months, to one of the wild places she loved so much.