Rhonda Costello, executive at banks

For the last three years, Rhonda Steeb Costello was a trustee of the Joseph Fund, which supports ministries in the Catholic Diocese of Camden.

Her work, her family wrote in an appreciation, helped provide "educational programs for nearly 600 children, and shelter and affordable home ownership options for the homeless."

Such work, her family wrote, showed that besides her professional career, Mrs. Costello's "passion for the Greater Philadelphia region was also apparent in her everyday life."

On Sunday, Oct. 2, Mrs. Costello, 59, of Mount Laurel, chief retail officer at Republic Bank in Philadelphia, died of heart complications while visiting friends in Chester Springs, daughter Eileen said.

Much of her banking experience was with the former Commerce Bank, where she was named regional vice president of commercial lending in 1986.

Vernon Hill, founder and chairman of Commerce and now a consultant to Republic, said Mrs. Costello "was very upbeat, a consumer-centric person."

"She was well-respected by her team, by the community she worked for and by her clients."

Born in Cleveland, Mrs. Costello graduated from Brick Township High School in 1975.

She began her work life at her family's Yamaha-Suzuki motorcycle dealership in Toms River, N.J.

Because it was a family firm, her daughter said, Mrs. Costello's jobs ranged from "customer service to handling everything."

Her first banking job was as a teller in Toms River in 1976, her daughter said.

In 1985, she became a store manager in Moorestown for Commerce Bank, and in 1986 was named its regional vice president of commercial lending.

When that happened, her family said, she "became the first woman to hold a leadership role at the bank."

She became director of human resources at Commerce in 1995.

And in 2006, she became dean of Commerce University, which her family described as "a training facility for more than 15,000 Commerce Bank employees."

Commerce was sold and since 2008, Mrs. Costello had been executive vice president and chief retail officer of Republic, her daughter said.

Besides that, she was named a consultant to Metro Bank PLC in London in 2009 and served there and in Philadelphia until 2012.

Hill was founder in 2008 of Metro Bank and since then has been its chairman.

"She helped set up the retail end" of the London-based bank, Hill said, which is "a full-service consumer and commercial bank in Britain," with 42 offices.

In London, Hill said, Mrs. Costello "established the model of what we did in America."

Away from her banking responsibilities, Mrs. Costello was a trustee and board treasurer for Kennedy University Hospital.

Among other charitable work, she was a volunteer for Lifting Up Camden's Youth, an outreach program for youngsters.

Besides her daughter, she is survived by her husband of 23 years, Francis; son Michael; daughter Amanda Frommling; and a granddaughter.

Viewings were set from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Mount Laurel Home for Funerals, 212 Ark Rd., before a noon funeral there.

Donations may be sent to josephfundcamden.org.

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mountlaurelhomeforfunerals.com.

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