John Galione passed away on June 23, 1999, at the age of 80, following a 3-year fight with congestive heart failure. He received a military burial at Sunset Memorial Park in Feasterville, PA., where he rests beside his wife of 55 years, Viola. He was larger than life and is sorely missed by 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.
John Galione was born January 25, 1919, in the famous haunted Long Island farmhouse that Douglas Fairbanks Sr. later bought. He picked beans and milked cows at 5-years-old and scrubbed clothes on a washboard by the lake with his mother. Remembering his sturdy father hoist a bushel of tomatoes onto each shoulder, then walk miles into town to sell them to the markets, encouraged him to keep going as he swam across the Mark River with a heavy backpack that almost drowned him. Then again as he carried the heavy meat he slaughtered on his back through enemy territory so he and the medics could make soup for starved prisoners of Dora-Nordhausen.
John and several
siblings moved to
Pennsylvania's
King's Farm,
now known as
Penn Warner Club.
Later, he married and moved to Bristol. After the war, John returned to his wife and 3-year-old daughter.
Despite having to quit school after graduating the eighth grade in order to help his parents with the farm, John went on to invent and design the pollution system that kept five 3M Manufacturing facilities from shutting down and laying off hundreds of employees. Learning to "rough it" in his life and in the war may be why he drew the plans of his invention on the inside cover of cereal boxes.
He also invented a harmonica holster which enabled him
to play guitar and two harmonicas simultaneously.
He entertained at town functions,
American Legion meetings, and church.
Fans named him, "The One-Man-Band."
He loved crabbing
at Lake Metedaconk, NJ
... growing tomatoes as big as his head, from home-dried seeds
He also enjoyed oil painting.
... letting the grandchildren
wrestle and win
... loved dancing
He enjoyed making people happy.
(Dad and Me)
... creating on his lathe
Then, had two
more daughters.
His greatest challenge was not the war, but taking care of his
beloved wife during a 10-year run of Alzheimer's disease.
May they rest
in God's arms.
John at 12-years-old.
Copyright © 2000 Mary Galione-Nahas.
All rights reserved.
... cruising down the
Delaware in the
cabin cruiser he made from scratch
In Loving Memory of John M. Galione