Ethel Marie (Costella) Bellas

Ethel Marie “Peep” (Costella) Bellas, 86, Homer City, PA, passed away on September 18, 2020 at Indiana Regional Medical Center.  The daughter of Frank and Mary (Freno) Costella, she was born in Green Township, Indiana County on January 4, 1934.  She was a member of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish.

Ethel is survived by her loving husband, John Robert Bellas.  They were united in marriage on September 26, 1953.  She was simply gorgeous in her wedding dress that day, and they would go on to be great partners in life for nearly 67 years.

Ethel is also survived by her sister Edna “Baby” Ferra; brother Frank “Pee Wee” Costella; brother Jimmy Costella; son John E. Bellas and wife Susan, Homer City, PA; son Brian Bellas, Aultman, PA; son Brad Bellas and wife Charlotte, Indiana, PA; grandson Nathan Bellas, Bethel Park, PA; and grandson Evan Bellas, Star City, WV.

Ethel was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Martha Colgan and Margaret “Eka” Rado; brothers Mike, Carl, Eddie and Dick Costella; daughter-in-law Joan Bellas; and recently by her beloved pet poodle Fifi.

It was Ethel’s dream to raise a family and she fulfilled it by being a wonderful Mom to her three sons.  In addition, she played a large role as “Bubba” in the lives of her two precious grandsons following the untimely death of their mother.  Ethel was proud of her five boys and was actively involved in their hobbies and adventures.  She was always there to buy them equipment, to watch them perform, to cheer them on, and to lend her love and encouragement in her own very special ways.  An extraordinary homemaker who ruled the kitchen and loved to feed her family, she was famous for a cake icing that could never be duplicated and will never be topped.

Her family extended beyond just the people in her life, as Ethel loved animals and had many pets over the years.  Outside the house, she enjoyed having the hummingbirds visit, kept the bird feeders full, and cared for the cats in the neighborhood.  She didn’t want any animal to be hungry or cold.  She did everything she could to make their world a little bit better, just as she would for us.

Making the world a better place now and for future generations is something that grew increasingly important to Ethel over the years.  Troubled by the divisive rhetoric and policies of the current administration in DC, and sensing an urgent need for change, she voted for the first time in her life in the mid-term elections of 2018 at the age of 84.  She was looking forward to casting her vote in her first presidential election later this year, anxious to help bring positive change and asking many times recently if her mail-in ballot had arrived yet.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Indiana County Humane Society.  In her memory, you are also encouraged to do good things for people, animals, and the planet - whether that be volunteering time or donating to organizations that work for social justice, equality, animals and protection of the environment.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Lucernemines Site on September 24, 2020. Interment in the St. Louis Cemetery.