Wallter Gallant, 87, of Largo, FL, passed away on May 30, 2012 with his wife Patsy, daughter Maureen and close friends by his side.
Born on May 19, 1925 in Boston, MA. he moved to Burlington, MA in 1955 where he raised his five children with his wife of 58 years Maureen (Larkin) Gallant. After losing his wife Maureen in 2002, he later married Mary "Patsy" Sanderson whom he shared eight years of marriage.
Walter enlisted in the Navy at 16 (lying about his age) and was immediately sent overseas. During the invasion of the Marshall Islands his ship was sunk by a shore battery. As one of the surivors, he was taken to Pearl Harbor for treatment and then sent home for a 30 day survival leave. The transport ship returning wounded soldiers to the States was hit by a torpedo just 10 miles off the the Golden Gate Bridge and sank. After surviving the sinking of two ships and the loss of his left eye he was sent home to Boston to recover at the Chelsea Naval Hospital. Upon his discharge from the hospital, he married his childhood sweetheart, Maureen Larkin..
After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Walter was employed as a machinist at Lawson Tool and Machine in Malden, MA for 20 years and later at the Wire Belt Corp. in Woburn, MA. As his family grew he often held down as many as three jobs simultaneously. In 1968 he started a rug cleaning business with his oldest son, Kevin, and in 1970 he opened Burlington Rent Tool with his youngest son, Rick. Years later after attending night school to learn carpentry with his son, Kevin, he started a very successful business called Gallant Services. Along with his two sons they provided janitorial, carpentry, landscaping, and plowing to the Middlesex Industrial Park in Burlington. A thriving landscaping business to this day.
With his wife, Patsy, Walter continued to enjoy the beautiful weather and warmth of close friends during his many years in Florida. Weekly dining and dancing, golfing, and time spent with lifelong friends visiting from Burlington were treasured times. Active in his community of the Palm Hill Country Club, he and Patsy traveled to many areas of the United States and enjoyed Cruises to Hawaii, the Carribean and Alaska. They were also volunteers at the Largo Cultural Center where they enjoyed seeing many popular artists, broadway plays and musicals.
In the end, his wife Patsy, daughters Maureen, Kerri and Jeaneen, along with their children and two great grandchildren were the light of his life.
He is survived by his wife of eight years, Patsy (Sanderson) Gallant and her five children, 17 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren; his two sons: Kevin Gallant and wife, Jean, of Burlington, MA and Rick Gallant and wife, Susan, of Billerica, MA; three daughters who will deeply miss him: Maureen Mountain of Quincy, MA, Kerri Grenier and husband, Joseph, of Beverly, MA and Jeaneen Mcleod of Hamilton, New Zealand; eight grandchildren: Mark Mountain, Sandy Gallant and Karen Mehigan, Jacqueline Ambrose. Nicholas and Douglas Gallant and Brianna and Connor Grenier; and two great grandchildren: Lauren and Mark Mountain.
A memorial mass was celebrated at 10 AM on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Largo. Military honors were presented by the US Navy.
Please sign the guestbook below.
Walter was one great friend and was as close to Mary and me as a man could ever be. We were closer than brothers could ever be because we understood each others faults and accomplishments in life. Our humor between us was only understood by us alone as others would think that we were bitter enemies. That could not be further from the truth as we humered each other with short one line quips trying to outdo each other. Walter will be surely missed by Mary as he treated her with love and afection but mostly by me as I loved him very much. His devotion to his family, country and his friends was exemplified by his actions. We all have lost one “hell of a guy.” Although not with us any longer his presence will always be with us.
Nick & Mary Passanisi
June 7,2012
Jim and Mary Mahoney
When a friend was needed Walter was always there.He was one of those genuine people who always knew the right thing to say. He will be missed. Rest in peace.
Jim and Mary Mahoney
The world has suffered the loss of a great man even though Heaven is smiling. Thanks for your service Walter Gallant. Rest in peace Sir.
a fine man, Patriot, good husband and father who shall be sorely missed, but never forgotten.
Godspeed to a great man who served his country well and cared for his family in the best ways possible, with hard work and love.
RIP Sir,
They don’t make them like that much anymore. All the sacrifice of serving, getting back up to do it again, and then some more. Never quiting.
Yes, one of the “Greatest Generation” to say the least
I am the youngest of my Mum & Dad’s 5 children and I always have felt that I was the luckiest, because I got to spend so much time with my Dad growing up as his business was doing well and he could indulge in travel, and entertaining friends around the swimming pool, pool table and of course card games at the house.
I spent a lot of time talking with my Dad about his experience in the Navy during WW II. He raised me to understand that I was raised in the luckiest country on earth, he instilled in me great PRIDE that my Dad and both my brothers served their country and served it well when they were asked to step forward. Great pride that I was an AMERICAN.
My Dad also passed on to me the love of a good time – I can still hear my mom sometimes saying, as I was coming in from the night before and mum & Dad would be at the breakfast table and my mum would say “You’re just your like your father, you’re always the last to leave a party” – it’s true, I definitely got my Dad’s love of a good time – I feel blessed.
My Dad was what the younger generation today call “Old School” – he had definite opinions about certain things and one of those things was motorcycles and women who rode on the back of motorcycles – but yet when at the age of 29 I came home with my own Harley Davidson, my Dad supported me and welcomed my friends with open arms and non judgmental eyes and grew to enjoy their company very much.
He was always so supportive of me and raised me to believe I could do anything –
Shortly after my mom’s passing when I made the decision to move to the other side of the world, it was very hard for my Dad to see his youngest move 15,000 miles away, but he encouraged me to do so, he supported me in my decision for a new life down under – even though I know it was difficult for him to see me go.
I carry the PRIDE of being an American and daughter and sister of Veterans, I fly the American flag with great pride in my yard in New Zealand and have since the day I moved there. I would call my Dad every Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Pearl Harbour Day and we would talk of his service and love of this country and pride of his service and his children’s service.
He was an amazing man in so many ways.
The strength I carry being my Father’s Daughter gives me comfort in dark moments, the belief he had in me carries me through some of the toughest days I’ve seen , especially in the last 10 weeks.
I called my Dad every 2-4 days and sometimes it would be a quick chat and sometimes it would be an hour or more just talking about “stuff” – I feel blessed that a week before my Dad passed, I had had one of those long conversations with him and I told him how proud I was to be his daughter, I talked about the traits he has instilled in me and how even though I was going through some of the darkest days of my life at that time, it was the strength of being his daughter and all that he taught me that would see me make it through.
He was my Man of Steel, he was my saviour so many times, but most importantly he was my father who raised me with such love, even at 50 I’ve yet to find a man that can come close to the amazing man my father was.
I’d like to close this by reading a card my Dad picked out and sent to me for my birthday, it arrived 5 days before he passed – I think it sums up his love and great support for me and all his children.
I love you poopsie and I will miss you as long as I breathe.
With oceans and oceans of love and a kiss with every wave Dah – thank you for being such an amazing dad to me.
To a wonderful pain. May he rest in peace.
Sorry for your loss Sandie.
To a wonderful man. May he rest in peace.
Sorry for your loss Sandie.