Mariclare Costello, best known for playing the schoolteacher Rosemary Hunter on The Waltons, died on the morning of Friday, April 17. She was 90 years-old.
Costello Passes Away
“Her gift was rare,” her family wrote in an obituary that was published in the Peoria Journal Star. “She knew how to get people out of their own heads, focused on a task rather than on themselves, and in doing so helped them access their own creative voices.”
Costello reportedly died in Brooklyn, New York. The obituary remembered Costello for remembered for her curiosity and warmth. Indeed, it described her as someone who “was a wonderful cook” and found joy in everything from rescuing stray animals to making “every space she inhabited more beautiful.”
“She was also, in every dimension of her life, someone who paid attention,” Costello’s family wrote. “She could talk to anyone, was interested in everything, and was a relentless asker of questions.”
Costello appeared in fifteen episodes of The Waltons between 1972 and 1977. Her character quickly became beloved among fans. In a 2011 interview with The Terror Trap, Costello looked back fondly at her time on The Waltons.
“I had the greatest time with Richard Thomas and John Ritter,” she gushed. “We laughed from the beginning of the day until the end of the day. We spent a lot of time together. They were great.”
Costello’s History
Costello was born in Peoria, Illinois in 1936 as the youngest of three sisters. She was raised in a home that valued creativity. Costello attended Clarke College in Iowa before earning a master’s degree in theater and education from Catholic University. There, she studied improvisation with renowned teacher Viola Spolin. While studying there, Costello also performed for President John F. Kennedy in a production of The Merchant of Venice.
Costello moved to New York City to pursue theater after graduate school. She appeared on Broadway multiple times over the years. Costello originated a role in Arthur Miller’s After the Fall opposite Jason Robards. She later appeared in a revival of Harvey alongside Jimmy Stewart.
Costello moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s and made the transition to television. Aside from The Waltons, Costello also appeared in shows like Kojak, Lou Grant, Murder, She Wrote, Chicago Hope, Judging Amy and Providence. Film credits of Costello’s include roles in Ordinary People (1980) and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984).
In her personal life, Costello was married to the actor Allan Arbus, best known for his role on M*A*S*H, from 1977 until his death in 2013. They met in an acting class and fell in love while rehearsing a Dorothy Parker play.
In addition to her onscreen work, Costello taught acting. She led the drama program at St. Paul the Apostle Elementary School in Westwood. Costello also directed productions at Loyola High School and Loyola Marymount University, where she taught acting for decades.
Costello is survived by a daughter, two stepdaughters, and a granddaughter. She is also survived by several nieces and one nephew.
Rest in peace, Mariclare Costello.