Dr. Richard Dale Costlow

Dr. Richard Dale Costlow, 91, of Frederick, Maryland, passed away on Thursday, November 10, 2016. He was the husband of the late Cecilia Zips Costlow for 70 years.

He was born July 19, 1925, in Johnstown, PA, son of the late Frederick and Olive Long Costlow.

Dr. Costlow was a graduate of Johnstown High School and held a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in microbiology and biochemistry from Pennsylvania State University. During World War II he served three years in the U.S. Navy and was discharged as a Hospital Corpsman, First Class in 1946. Dr. Costlow worked at the U.S. Army microbiology research laboratories at Ft. Detrick from 1954 to 1971. He served as Director of the Virus and Rickettsia Division and was the Director of Biological Sciences Laboratories in 1971 when he left Ft. Detrick and took a position with Microbiological Associates, Inc. in Bethesda, MD as Director of the Cancer Chemotherapy Division.

In 1975, Dr. Costlow joined the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD where he was Chief of the Cancer Detection Branch in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. During that time, Dr. Costlow managed a nationwide program on the screening and early detection of breast cancer and did much to promote the use of mammography and physical examination for its early detection. For several years before his retirement in 1991, he was Associate Director of the Cancer Prevention Research Program and was active in the establishment of a nutrition and cancer prevention research program at the National Cancer Institute at Ft. Detrick, MD.

Dr. Costlow was active in local scouting activities. He helped establish a Cub Scout and Boy Scout Troop at St. John’s School and participated in the Merit Badge program. He also provided photographs of historic houses for Frederick County Landmarks publications.

Dr. Costlow was the author of many scientific papers and contributed chapters in books on the early detection of breast cancer. During his scientific career, Dr. Costlow was a member of the American Society for Microbiology, New York Academy of Sciences, Society of Sigma Xi, American Public Health Association, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He also received several awards and commendations including the National Institutes of Health Director’s award for the management of the breast cancer detection program. For several years he was chairman of the Cancer Minority Research Program Advisory Committee at NIH and served on other scientific advisory committees.

After retirement from the National Cancer Institute in 1991 and until 2004, he was a consultant to the Cancer Institute on a large clinical (PLCO) trial for early detection of prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer. Total enrollment in this randomized trial was 174,000 subjects with ten nation-wide screening clinics.

He is survived by his four children, Richard and wife Carol of Lansdale, PA, Frederick and wife Regina of Bangor, ME, Sarah Costlow of Frederick, Kathleen and husband John D’Amore of Frederick. He is also survived by seven grandchildren: David Costlow (Annie), Erin Costlow, Kerry Costlow, Emily Mitchell (Zach), Cathleen Silberman (Peter), Hannah Debelius, and Rachel Drakon (Bill) and four great grandchildren: Zachary and Natalie Costlow, and Mia and Ella Silberman.

Private services for the family will be held in the coming weeks.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. John’s Catholic Prep High School,