Captain Michael Anthony Cossa (USAF, Ret) passed into God’s hands at 8:00 P.M. on April 30, 2022 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Richmond VA. He was the son of Anthony and Carole (Slysz) Cossa, Douglassville PA and the husband of Jennifer (Drum) Cossa, Hartly DE. Michael was 53 years old, born on January 10, 1969 in Philadelphia PA. He graduated from Randolph Air Force Base High School in San Antonio TX in 1987 and was the class valedictorian. On graduation from the United States Air Force Academy as a Distinguished Graduate in 1991, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. Afterward, he attended pilot training and began flying Air Force missions as a heavy-cargo C-141 pilot. He co-piloted the 2nd U.S. military plane that flew into Hanoi to retrieve many of our fallen military comrades-in-arms and return their remains to the United States. Michael was medically retired from the Air Force in 1997 due to brain cancer, which he fought valiantly for almost 27 years, finally losing his battle this year. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer, his father and mother, Anthony and Carole, his brother, Kevin (Denise), his niece, Caitlin Cossa, of Tigard OR. Michael is also survived by a sister, Denise Liscum (Kenneth) and their three sons, Alex, Nate, and Ben, Lewisburg PA, as well as an uncle and aunt, Steven and Joanne (Cossa) Paskoski, Solon ME. Surviving, as well, are three brothers-in-law and three sisters-in-law, Michael Drum and Wendy (Drum) Countiss (Robby), Knoxville TN, Mark Weyand (Sandra), Parker CO, and Alisa (Allen) Arms (Kerry), Savannah GA. Michael has three surviving 1st cousins, Kymberly (Sustek) Miller, Paul Sustek, and Jennifer (Staffieri) Palmer, all residing in New Jersey. A great uncle and aunt, Richard and Elizabeth Cavalieri of Philadelphia and other great aunts, as well as numerous 2nd and 3rd cousins, located throughout the Philadelphia and New Jersey regions also survive. He was predeceased in death by his grandparents, Anthony and Josephine (Cavalieri) Cossa and S. Edward and Mary (Slowik) Slysz all of Philadelphia, his parental in-laws, Louis and Ann (Smith) Drum of Tennessee, and an uncle, Ronald Slysz of Philadelphia. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place in Immaculate Conception BVM Catholic Church, 905 Chestnut Street, Douglassville PA 19518 on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 10:30AM. A viewing will be held on Tuesday from 9:30AM-10:30AM prior to mass at the church. Burial will be in Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Bucks County PA. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Michael’s memory to Tunnels-to-Towers (T2T.org), Wounded Warrior Foundation WWF.org, Disabled American Veterans (DAV.org) or Immaculate Conception RCC, Douglassville PA.
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