Jesse DeCosta Jr., 77, of Newport, died on May 19, 2024, formally from Middletown.
Born in Newport on September 19,1946, he was the son of Jesse and Anna (Silveira) DeCosta.
Jesse was a 1964 graduate of Middletown High School where he excelled in his athletic skills. He played baseball and basketball, but football was his sport where he would be named All Eastern division as a defensive linebacker. Jesse also drove stock cars races with his #97 at Thompson, CT. Throughout school vacations, Jesse worked at the Boulevard Nurseries alongside his grandfather, father and brother to earn money for college.
Jesse attended URI with an outstanding career playing football as a linebacker in his freshman year and playing guard in his sophomore year with fellow Middletown High graduates.
In 1967, Jesse took a summer job working for Bethlehem Steel working on the Newport Bridge and that became his lifelong career. Jesse became a member of Local 37 Steel workers becoming a welder, foreman, supervisor, and a job steward working near home at Providence Place Mall, Mount Hope Bridge, Mohegan Sun, Sakonnet Bridge, Brighton Point in Swansea, and other sites around the United States.
Jesse lived his life the way he wanted on his own terms. He was a free spirit that didn’t let anything, or anyone dictate how he would live. Willing to help a friend when in need, he would not ask for anything, nor did he expect anything in return. He enjoyed a quiet and simple lifestyle. He enjoyed the ocean, fishing off his boat, watching TV, especially westerns and sporting events like the Patriots, Celtics, Redsox, Bruins and NASCAR races. He loved riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, and cruising in his Corvette on sunny days around the island. In his last years, you would see him in his beat-up old truck, which he loved, parked at Burger King eating his plain burger and feeding the seagulls fries, and drinking a iced cold Coke a Cola as he watched the traffic pass by before he would head off to Big Dawgs, VFW and Trembleys for some refreshment and some sporting event on their TV.
Jesse was a man of few words, many would call him a loner, and that would be fine with him, but he had many family members and friends that will miss him.
Jesse leaves his sister Anne DeAscentis of Middletown, as well as his nieces, Stephanie DeAscentis (Allan Mercurio), Jennifer Osterhout (Brad), and Wendy Turano (Chris), grandnieces Katelyn Turano, Emma, Audrey, Madison Osterhout and Sarah DeCosta and grandnephew Peter Turano and great grandnephews, Xavier, Brooks and Mason.
In addition to his parents, Jesse was preceded in death by his brother Dennis F. DeCosta, brother-in-law Wayne F. DeAscentis, nephew Glenn DeCosta and niece Jacqueline DeCosta.
Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport. His funeral service will begin at 12:00PM in the funeral Home. Burial services will be private.
In lieu of Flowers, Donations in his memory may be made to Newport Hospital Fund Foundation or the 3 Angels Fund in Middletown, RI.