News of the death of Tim Costello has spread quickly across northeast Ohio’s sports community, with coaches, players, referees and lifelong friends sharing memories of a man they describe as kind, funny and deeply committed to the athletes he worked with.
Costello, a 1984 graduate of Sandy Valley High School in Magnolia and a 1988 graduate of Ohio University, spent decades as a football official, working games at the high school and college levels before more recently becoming a familiar face at girls’ flag football matches around Massillon and McKinley.
A Mentor Who Never Forgot the Little Things
Fellow official Matt Clark said Costello was the kind of person who looked out for newer referees from the very start of their careers.
Clark recalled officiating his first varsity football game alongside Costello, and later sharing what he called a full-circle moment when the two worked a Division II college semifinal together years afterward. Clark said Costello always checked in on younger officials and had recently taken an interest in Clark’s own son, a sign, Clark said, of a man who was as devoted a father as he was an official.
Chris Bernard, who met Costello during their freshman year at Ohio University in 1984, remembered him as one of the friendliest people he had ever known. Bernard said Costello was famous among friends for sharing a joke of the day, a small daily habit that left a lasting impression on those who knew him.
Loved on the Sidelines
The Ohio High School Athletic Association also paid tribute to Costello, crediting him for the energy and genuine care he brought to every football game he officiated. Ohsfbmedia.com echoed that sentiment, calling him a great human being.
Costello’s presence extended well beyond boys’ football. Massillon Girls Flag Football shared that Costello regularly checked in on the players, took time to explain his calls, and cared deeply about fair play. The organization thanked him for years of work across regular seasons and summer leagues, saying his smile and kindness would be missed.
McKinley Girls Flag Football offered a similar remembrance, noting that Costello often laughed alongside the players while encouraging them to improve. The group said he consistently offered genuine encouragement to coaches and athletes alike, adding that he found real purpose in helping young athletes grow.
Across every tribute, a common thread emerges: a man who treated officiating as more than a job, showing up week after week with warmth, humor and genuine investment in the athletes around him. As the football and flag football communities he served continue to process the loss, many say his impact will be felt for years to come.
