Elizabeth C. Belthoff

In Loving Memory of Elizabeth Costello Belthoff “Beans”, “Goop”, “Mom”, “Nana”, "Aunt", “Mrs. B” June 5, 1954 – August 5, 2025 Elizabeth Costello Belthoff — lovingly known by many names — passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on August 5, 2025. Though the world is dimmer without her in it, the light she brought to everyone who knew her will continue to shine through her family, her friendships, and the countless lives she touched. Liz was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City in 1954 and moved to New Milford, NJ, in the early 1960s. It was in the Costello home on Shea Drive that her deep love of reading was first sparked by her father, George, a publishing executive. Her affection for game shows — which culminated years later in a proud appearance on Jeopardy! — began around the family dinner table, where wit and curiosity were part of every conversation. Liz and her brother, George, were raised by loving parents, George Leo Costello and Helen Murial Costello. In 1971, on a street corner in New Milford, Liz met the boy who would become her high school sweetheart and, eventually, her husband of 44 years, Tom. She graduated from New Milford High School in 1972. With her photographic memory, sharp mind, and insatiable love of learning, Liz attended Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame before transferring to Columbia University to earn her nursing degree. She went on to receive her master’s in nursing from Boston College/Harvard in 1981, becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Liz began her nursing career at Columbia Presbyterian Babies Hospital, then went on to Newark Beth Israel, where she ran the pediatric ambulatory surgery unit. But after the birth of her first child, Katie, in 1985, Liz chose to put her career aside and dedicate herself fully to her most important and treasured role: Mom. Together, Liz and Tom built a home overflowing with joy — filled with Christmas decorations and music in December, full-sized candy bars at Halloween, and backyard laughter all spring and summer. The front door was always open. Everyone was welcome. Later in life, Liz returned to the classroom as a beloved teacher at the Reformed Church Nursery School. With her gentle spirit and boundless patience, she became a treasured presence for the little ones she taught — only retiring to spend even more time with her pride and joy: her family. Liz loved trips down the shore to LBI and to Disney World, but ultimately, she loved just being in her backyard surrounded by her children and grandchildren, gazing up at the stars long after the sun had set. Those starlit skies will now shine even brighter, knowing Liz is watching over us from above. Everything Liz did, she did for her family. She was selfless, kind beyond measure, and had a way of making everyone — from her grandkids to new friends — feel deeply loved and seen. Liz was sunshine. She was warmth. She was all things good. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, George and Helen, and her grandson, Keegan — whom she is now surely holding close in heaven. Liz is survived by her devoted husband, Tom, and their five children: Katie McCarten (JP), parents of Shea, Cullen, Grady, and Flynn Meaghan Giordanella (Matt), parents of Maeve, Claire, and Ada Tommy Belthoff (Kristen), parents of Keira, Brielle, and Rose Kevin Belthoff (Katie Sharp), parents of Riley and Rowan, and the late Keegan Connor Belthoff Her 13 grandchildren — her beloved “bunnies” — were the light of her life and the center of her world. In lieu of flowers, the Belthoff family kindly requests donations in Liz’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee — a cause close to her heart.