Thursday, July 17, 2008

Papa's Obituary

My mother wrote the obituary that appeared in Monday's Norwich Bulletin. Exhibit A in how I inherited my penchant for writing at length rather than editing for conciseness.
Pasquale Galante March 19, 1922 - July 11, 2008

BROOKLYN - Pasquale (Pat, P. Joseph) Galante, 86, long time resident of Waterbury, died July 11, 2008 in Brooklyn, Connecticut after a long illness. He was the husband of Dorothy H. (Champagne) Galante. Pat and Dot celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary on May 5th, 2008. Pat was born on March 19th, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York, one of five children of the late Luigi and Mary (DiPaolo) Galante. His family moved to Waterbury when he was a young child and he lived there until May 2007, when he and Dot moved to Brooklyn Connecticut to be close to their children and grandchildren.

Pat worked at Chase Brass and Copper Company before serving as a Radio Operator in World War II. Chosen for specialized training, Pat served with the 27th Troop Carrier Squadron. As a Staff Sergeant crewing C-47's in the China-Burma-India Triangle, Pat flew over 600 hours in hundreds of missions over some of the roughest terrain in the world. Serving with distinction, he was the awarded the two highest combat air medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (Oak Leaf Clusters are the designation of receiving each medal more than once), the Asiatic Pacific Theater medal with three Bronze Stars and several other medals, including one from the Chinese Air Force for outstanding humanitarian service. Pat received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained when he was shot down over the CBI. The men with whom he served became his lifelong friends and he attended reunions of the 27th all over the country. After his return, Pat served in the Air Force Reserves and worked for the State of Connecticut as Chief Purchasing Agent, retiring in 1985.

Besides his wife Dot, Pat leaves his son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Janet Galante of Pomfret, CT. and his two daughters and sons-in-law, Meg Galante-DeAngelis and Mark DeAngelis of Willimantic, CT. and Michelle Galante-Plucenik and Rob Plucenik, of Brooklyn, CT. But his proudest legacy is in his grandchildren, Seth, Carlo and Emily Galante; Benjamin, Graham, Wheeler and Brighid DeAngelis; Alex and Andrea Plucenik; and Caitlin DeAngelis Hopkins and her husband, Peter, who Pat welcomed into the family with open arms last July. Pat also leaves his sisters, Dolores Ostroski and Gloria Iavasile, his brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Kathryn Galante, his sister-in-law, Lucy Galante, his best friend of 81 years, Jerome Arcaro and many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews , great - great nieces and nephews and friends. He was predeceased by his brother, Philip Galante.

Pat loved all sorts of sports, but he was an especial fan of the Yankees. He enjoyed a good argument, whether it was about sports or politics but his ability to put people at ease usually left everyone in the conversation with a smile. Pat was a liberal who felt it was our duty to speak our minds and was a frequent caller of local, state and Federal officials when he felt they needed his voice of encouragement or disapproval. He was a man of conviction, always willing to lend a hand to a friend, a family member or a stranger without any thought of return. Pat was a great believer that the good that you do in the world comes back to you - he often said to his children, "If I am good to someone, maybe he'll be good to someone else in return." Patsy was teased by his brothers and sisters that he was his mother's favorite, and it was from her that he got his warm and open heart, his sense of humor, his love of life, and his ability to captivate with a story. He loved nothing better than to gather friends and family around a table after a great meal and regale them with stories. He will live on in these stories and his grandchildren will tell them to their grandchildren. Whether chaperoning a school field trip, sneaking an oversized refrigerator into a dorm room, cradling a grandchild in his arms, putting up a swing-set, remodeling a bathroom, traveling to New York City for a Yankee game or a Broadway show, or cooking Christmas Eve Dinner, Pat taught his family that they should always count on each other. He will live on in his children and grandchildren, who he taught to be fair and open minded, dedicated to family, hard working, strong and opinionated citizens and loyal friends. Arrangements: Funeral Mass Thursday 10 AM at the Immaculate Conception Church, 74 West Main Street Waterbury. Family and friends are asked to meet directly at the church. Burial of cremains will follow at Calvary Cemetery, with full military honors. Calling hours Wednesday at Chase Parkway Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home 430 Chase Parkway, Waterbury from 5 to 8 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Brooklyn PTO Boundless Playground Project, 119 Gorman Road, Brooklyn, Connecticut 06234, Attention: Nathan Ives. For More Info and On-line Condolences, Visit www.chaseparkwaymemorial.com

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