Doris Allena Jetté Costa

Doris Allena Jetté Costa passed away peacefully November 8, 2023, with two of her daughters present. She was born Christmas Eve, 1931, in Attleboro, Massachusetts and was the second daughter of the late Doris Allena Knowles Jetté and the late Raymond A Jetté. Doris was first formally educated by French Catholic nuns at the Saint Mary Sacred Heart School in Attleboro. When her family moved to Rehoboth, Massachusetts, she was enrolled in public school and graduated from Dighton High School in 1949. She continued her education at Sturdy Memorial School of Nursing in Attleboro and developed and fostered a lifelong interest in health, medicine, science and mathematics. She and her high school sweetheart, the late Roger Allen Costa, eloped in 1951, and made their home in Taunton, Massachusetts. Once their first daughter was born, they moved to Rehoboth and soon, with the arrival of their second daughter, to Dighton, Massachusetts. Later, Doris worked at Raytheon Corporation while her husband continued his education. Doris helped plan the home her husband built in North Dighton and where they welcomed their third daughter. She loved decorating and caring for their home and children. Considering her many previous moves and Doris’ love of her extended family and her New England life, it was quite a surprise that she agreed with Roger to accept the advancement he was offered by Milliken & Company and willingly moved with him and their family to Spartanburg, South Carolina. Once settled, Doris began her long participation at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. Soon their fourth daughter was born and she was a very busy mother and homemaker. During these years, Doris also worked as a teacher’s aide at Pine Street School in Virginia Hall’s first-grade classroom. Both Doris and Roger encouraged (expected) their girls to perform well in school and behave well always. After she and her husband were re-married at St. Paul the Apostle, Doris became a faithful communicant. She had always been a loyal parishioner, never missing a Sunday service unless traveling or ill. In 1967, the couple enjoyed a trip to Europe with friends and then in 1970, Doris broke her leg skiing in North Carolina and spent a six-week churchless rehabilitation. They also later traveled with friends to Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and enjoyed many trips to Canada and many regions within the United States. In 2014, they had a memorable trip with their daughters and a son-in-law to France, Paris and Barcelona. It had always been a determination of Doris and Roger that their girls attend and graduate from college; one “famous” house rule was: “no degree, no wedding”. All four graduated from college and then married. Beginning in the 1980s, Doris’ life was brightened by the arrival of her seven grandchildren. She and Roger were young and healthy and able to travel to see the children and engage in hours (and hours) of child play. Doris, called Mémère by these seven, also sewed clothing for the girls when they were little and their dolls later. She had no experience raising boys, but did think of fun activities to entertain her four grandsons. She and Roger were able to attend many of their grandchildren’s award ceremonies and some of their sporting events. They felt personally rewarded by their grandchildren’s successes. No high school, college or advanced degree graduation was missed. They were also, along with three of their daughters and four of their grandchildren, Clemson Tiger fans. Doris happily celebrated the arrival of her great-grandchildren in the 2020s: four girls (so far) and a boy on the way. Family, church, education and travel were the focuses of her life. She was fortunate to remain in her home until the end of her life and received communion there in her last years. She was married to her late husband, Roger, for sixty-four years. In addition to him and her parents, she was predeceased by two sisters, Ann Jetté Tremblay and Rosemarie Jetté Godfrey. She is now missed and celebrated by her four daughters: Donna Welsh (Cliff) of Myrtle Beach; Patricia Rivers of Mount Pleasant; Kathleen Jennings (Jeff) of Spartanburg and Mary Powell (Tony) of Spartanburg. In the week of her passing she was visited by her seven grandchildren: Caroline Welsh Miller (Brian) of Huntersville, North Carolina; Andrew Welsh (Michelle) of Columbia; Rob Rivers (Chastain) of Mount Pleasant; Costa Jennings Bruce (Will) of Greenville; Rachel Stein (Jared) of Charlotte, North Carolina; Benjamin Jennings (Harrison Sheely) of Columbia; and John Rogers Gore of Columbia. Great grandchildren who will hear many stories of their Great Mémère are Nova Miller; Wren Bruce, Adelynn Stein; Bonnie Welsh and Baby Stein (who will in May, 2024). She is also survived by her sister Jeanne Jetté Anderson of Mansfield, Massachusetts, a sister-in-law, Lucille Costa Hay of Myrtle Beach and many nieces, nephews and friends. Doris Allena Jetté Costa’s funeral mass will be held at St. Paul the Apostle Historic Church at 11 AM on Saturday, January 13, 2024. The service will be immediately followed by interment in St. Paul the Apostles’ columbarium and then a receiving of friends in the Historic Church. Her family requests that any who wish to make memorials, donate to Mobile Meals, 419 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC, 29302.