Mary Suzanne Costello Vandergrift, age 42, born Jan. 27, 1977, passed away on July 26, 2019 at home. She died of natural causes following a 25-year battle with Crohn's disease.

She was born in Green Bay to Patrick and Susan Costello and was one of seven children.

A stellar student, Mary attended Green Bay Public Schools. She was a talented singer and athlete who thrived in clubs and sports. She graduated from West High School in 1995, then graduated from Northwestern University in 1999.

Mary was a natural storyteller, which led her to television news reporting. She was an on-air reporter for local news stations in several states, including Evansville, Ind., Morgantown, W.Va., South Bend, Ind., Dayton, Ohio, Minneapolis, and Green Bay. She was most proud of her investigative reporting and field reporting during severe weather.

Few people could make people laugh like Mary. Her jokes, laughter, and impressions made her the life of the party, and she delighted many with her comedy bits and pranks. For many years, Mary skillfully employed her humor to help cope with the challenges of her illnesses.

She met her husband, Nate Vandergrift, on the job in Dayton, Ohio in 2006, where he was her producer. They married on Dec. 31, 2008 at Annunciation Catholic Church. In 2011, they welcomed one daughter, Olivia Lorraine.

In spite of her challenges, she never ceased to reach out to those who felt excluded, bullied, or unloved. She was a fighter who influenced friends and fellow Crohn's survivors with her relentless spirit.

Mary found special meaning in the pink candle of the Advent wreath. May her light live on in her eternal quest for hope in the darkness.

She is survived by her husband, Nathan Vandergrift; her daughter, Olivia; her mother, Susan Costello; her siblings: William (Sujata) Costello, Minneapolis; Joseph (Sumi) Costello, Winston-Salem; Stephanie Costello, New York City; Elizabeth Costello (Andrew Fishman), Denver; Isaac Costello, Fond du Lac; and Scott Costello, Green Bay; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Hugh and Sandy Vandergrift; her sister-in-law, Beth Mink; her eight nieces and nephews, Krystal, Kashi, Ravi, Mitchell, Michelle, Floyd, Morgan, and Noah; and aunts, an uncle, and cousins.

Mary was preceded in death by her father, Patrick Costello and her grandparents.

Her family would like to thank the many medical teams who cared for Mary over the years.

Friends may call at St. Jude Catholic Church, 1420 Division Street., from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, August 1, 2019. A Memorial Service will immediately follow in the church at 6 p.m. with Rev. Ron Belitz celebrating. The family will host an appetizer reception in the church basement following the Memorial Service. All are welcome.

Though the family enjoys flowers, they would most appreciate contributions to the education fund for Mary's daughter, Olivia Vandergrift at www.gofundme.com/oliviavandergrift .

To send online condolences please visit www.BlaneyFuneralHome.com.