John R. Galli

John R. Galli, 93, of Newington, formerly of West Hartford, died peacefully surrounded by family on Saturday, July 27, 2024. He was preceded in death by his beautiful wife of 40 years, Beverly (Cotta). Born on July 21, 1931, John was the youngest of six children of immigrant parents from Abruzzi, Italy. The family was raised in the Munjoy Hill section of Portland, Maine. John did well in school and avidly enjoyed Red Sox games on the radio. John enlisted in the U.S. Air Force right after high school knowing that the G.I. Bill was his best path to a college education. John was stationed at an early-warning outpost on Miyako Jima near Okinawa, Japan for which he received the Korean Service medal and UN Service medal. After serving, he enrolled in the University of New Hampshire where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity and completed a bachelor's degree. He later earned a Master of Arts in education from St. Joseph College. John met and married Beverly and they started a family in Dover, New Hampshire, where John began his teaching career. The family moved to Connecticut in 1968 where John, impressed by the town, accepted a position with West Hartford Public Schools. John was most notably a respected 6th grade teacher at Webster Hill Elementary School during the 1970s and 80s and subsequently taught at Sedgwick Middle School. He especially enjoyed teaching English. After retirement, John stayed active with rounds of golf and tennis, watching sports, and walking his beloved cocker spaniel in the West Hartford Center. He enjoyed the daily crossword, current affairs, cooking, and occasional travel. Immensely proud of his Italian-American heritage, highlights of his life include a vacation trip to Italy and seeing Frank Sinatra perform live in Newport. He was also proud of his ability to live independently in his later years. John is survived by four children, Michael Galli and his spouse, Debrah; Anita Carpenter and her spouse, Kenneth; David Galli and his spouse, Anne Marie; and Anthony Galli and his significant other, Elena. John was also blessed with four grandchildren, Sofia Galli, Stella Galli, Nora Galli, and Brendan Galli. He will also be missed by extended family members, Leandra and Daniel Ciolkosz, his long-held good friends, and many former West Hartford students and neighbors. Calling hours will be on Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. at Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave, West Hartford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held in St. Peter Claver Church, West Hartford on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. A private burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to Boys Town https://www.boystown.org/ Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com