Three men who worked for Thomas P. Costin Jr. in the Lynn post office said the former postmaster’s finest hour came during times of adversity and challenge.
When problems erupted in the big Willow Street building, Costin called together top advisors and found a solution.
“He was always cool, calm and collected. He would say, ‘Remember our name. We are the United States Postal Service,'” recalled Ruel Longfellow.
The Swampscott resident is attending this morning’s dedication of the Thomas P. Costin Jr. post office. Larry Day, who lives in Amesbury, will be there and Bob Grant flew in from Florida to attend the ceremony.
The post office will be dedicated in Costin’s honor today on Willow Street at 11 a.m.
The three men who worked with Costin day in and day out said the honor of having a building named after him is fitting. But Grant, Longfellow and Day said the most enduring testament to Costin comes from the hundreds of men and women who worked with the former postmaster, counting him as a friend and a boss.
Grant said Costin’s sense of fairness made him a great boss and someone who moved easily between the Willow Street post office’s cavernous sorting floor where mail is prepared for delivery to board rooms and public functions.
Day, Longfellow and Grant said Costin demonstrated the same sense of fairness and loyalty to all employees. If someone had a good idea, Costin endorsed it. If the idea lacked merit, Costin took the time to show the author the plan’s deficits.
“He took care of his people,” Grant said.
The three former postal employees worked careers spanning decades and they called Costin their boss, mentor and friend. Day’s father, Dan, and Costin were political allies in the 1940s and both men served on the Lynn City Council.
Costin’s and Day’s families were early and avid supporters of John F. Kennedy and Day has fond memories of his siblings and Costin’s sitting on a station wagon tailgate handing out JFK campaign information in 1958 when the future president ran for U.S. senator.
The Days spent summer days in New Hampshire with the Costin family and Costin taught Day to water ski. Longfellow’s favorite Costin story is one told to him by the late Johnny Pesky.
Longfellow knew Pesky well and during a conversation compared Pesky’s generosity to Costin’s. Pesky replied with praise for Costin.
“He got us all jobs after World War II,” Longfellow said, quoting the Red Sox legend.
Grant worked for the post office for 40 years and described Costin as “a great boss.”
“He stood by his people. He took care of his people. I never saw him treat anybody with anything but dignity,” he said.
Day credits his work ethic to lessons taught him by Costin, including being “fair, firm and helpful” to coworkers. A 39-year postal employee, Day rose through USPS ranks to become officer-in-charge at Willow Street.
“Sitting in the chair Tom Costin sat in was a big thrill of my life,” he said.
Longfellow marveled at how easily Costin moved between the roles in his life. He could roll up his sleeves and solve a problem with postal workers in one minute and in the next minute take a phone call from the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
He said that self confidence and love for people made Costin the perfect choice to help lead the 1967-1969 postal service reorganization.
“That reorganization led the USPS to become a self sustaining operation,” Longfellow said.
Grant said he knows Costin is thrilled today to have the building he worked in for so many years bear his name. Like Day and Grant, Longfellow described the Thomas P. Costin Jr. post office dedication as “a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
