Anne Catherine Costa of Waldorf, Maryland passed away on September 28, 2013 at the age of 66.

She was born in Brooklyn, New York and as an Air Force dependent daughter spent her childhood in New York, Kansas, Texas and California. She graduated high school in Lompoc, California in 1965 and when her family transferred to New Hampshire, she entered the work force as payroll clerk for a small appliance manufacturer in Manchester, New Hampshire. She married in 1966 and returned to California where she took a contractor position with Federal Electric Corporation at South Vandenberg AFB, California.

She remained in the private sector when her husband was transferred to Lowry AFB, Colorado and when she accompanied him to AFOSI Detachment 1309, Sioux City AB, Iowa in 1968; but when he received orders to AFOSI District 42, Ms. Costa decided to take the civil service examination. She entered Federal service in July of 1970 as a GS-3 clerk typist at Headquarters 13th Air Force, Directorate of Personnel. She later transferred to the 774th Tactical Airlift Squadron's Orderly Room at Clark AB, Philippines.

Upon returning to the United States in 1972, she accepted employment with the California State Department of Social Welfare in Sacramento, California. Fifteen months later, she took a 3-year hiatus to become a stay-at-home mother. In 1976, Ms. Costa was reinstated in Federal service and began working in the 60th Aerial Port Squadron Orderly Room at Travis AFB, California, as a GS-3 clerk-typist. While stationed at Travis, she and her husband were involved in the base chapel's Marriage Encounter Program and acted as mentors to several military couples by leading them through a 10-week marriage preparation course endorsed by the Catholic chaplain.

Eight months later, her husband was transferred to AFOSI Detachment 7024, Ramstein AB, Germany, where she accepted a GS-4 clerk-typist position at HQ USAFE/LGS, and one year later, a GS-5 secretarial position with the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing Comptroller. In 1981, she moved with her husband to AFOSI Detachment 1703, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, where for the next 2 years she volunteered as a library and teacher's aide at an on-base elementary school and served as secretary of the Parent Teacher Association, and assistant Girl Scout leader, and a soccer team mother. During this time, she also spearheaded a 6-week reading improvement program at Borman Elementary School called "PAIRS" (Parents Assist Improving Reading Skills) for which she received recognition as one of the only 100 volunteers in the Tucson Unified School District to receive a Certificate of Appreciation for leadership.

When her husband transferred in 1983 to AFOSI District 19, Travis AFB, California, she was reinstated in Federal service for the final time and accepted a GS-4 stenographer position with the HQ 22nd Air Force Director of Maintenance and maintained an active role in the base chapel programs. In 1985, she moved to Wiesbaden, Germany with her family and accepted a secretarial position with the 7113th Special Activities Squadron. In March of 1986, she joined AFOSI and was promoted to GS-5 as secretary to Chief, Counterintelligence Division, AFOSI District 70. Ms. Costa was promoted twice while at AFOSI District 70 and moved to the district's command section: first as secretary to the Vice Commander and later as secretary to the Commander.

In October 1988, her husband was transferred to HQ AFOSI, Bolling AFB, District of Columbia, and Ms.Costa was offered a GS-7 position as secretary to the AFOSI Deputy Commander for Operations and later as secretary to the Investigative Operations Center Commander. In September of 1993, she seized an opportunity to leave the secretarial career field, taking a downgrade to enter an upward mobility GS-5/7/9/11 information release specialist position in AFOSI's file repository. She began her information release career in the Agency Release section reviewing AFOSI investigative case files and providing derogatory information found in them to Federal, State and local agencies for law enforcement and background investigation purposes.

Then in 1998, she was promoted to GS-12 and assigned to the Freedom of Information Act Section as a Senior Information Release Specialist where she was trained to analyze and appropriately apply FOIA exemptions to sensitive investigative information prior to releasing it to the public. Finally in November of 2003 to December 2011, Ms. Costa assumed the role of acting branch chief and was charged with developing, implementing, and providing oversight to a records digitization and modernization project in the file repository. In June of 2004, she was selected for promotion to her current position as chief, Information Release Branch. Headquarters Air Force Office of Special Investigations. (AFOSI), Warfighting Integration Directorate, Quantico, Virginia. Ms. Costa has served in this position since November 2003 and oversees AFOSI's Freedom of Information (FOIA) and Privacy Act programs, serving as the command's FOIA Manager, Initial Denial Authority, Privacy Act Officer, and release authority for the command's investigative records.

Ms.Costa was a long-standing member of the American Society of Access Professionals (ASAP), an organization that enhances understanding of Federal statuses pertaining to the management of government records and information. She was also an enthusiastic participant and member of the Association of Former OSI Special Agents (AFOSISA).

Her life will continue to be celebrated by her husband of 47 years, CMSgt. (Ret) Charles A. Costa; daughter Karen M. Costa; mother Dorothy R. Heany; brothers John J. Heany (Christina), Thomas J. Heany (Robyn); nephews Brian J. Heany (Laura), Seth T. Heany (Molly), Brendan J. Heany; niece Angelika Heany; and the many friends and family she has touched along the way.

The family will receive friends at the Huntt Funeral Home, Waldorf, Maryland on Wednesday October 2, 2013 from 2 to 4pm and 6-8pm. The funeral service will be at 10am on Thursday October 3, 2013 at St. Peter's Catholic Church Waldorf, Maryland. Burial will take place at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the , Hospice of Charles County or Puppies Behind Bars. Arrangements provided by Huntt Funeral Home.