Richard John Galano, 77, passed away on July 7, 2024, in his beloved log home in Morrison, Colorado, surrounded by his family. He was born on November 3, 1946, to Rose (Giordano) and Joseph Galano in Brooklyn, NY, where he was raised.

He is survived by his beloved wife, his “baby,” Marcella DeVargas, who was his loving, tireless, patient, selfless caregiver throughout his long struggles with Huntington’s Disease and PTSD from his service in Vietnam. His final days were complicated by pancreatic cancer and pneumonia. He is also survived by his brother, Joseph Galano (Beverly Peterson) of Williamsburg, VA; and sisters- and brothers-in-law who were devoted family to Rich: LouAnn DeVargas, Delbert DeVargas, Patsy DeVargas, Darlene Miller, Dolores Schoonover (Roy), Lydia Maestas, Myra Trujillo (Carey), Mateo DeVargas (Victoria), and Manuel Gurule. He had many loving and caring nieces and nephews who will miss their uncle’s quirkiness. Rich’s life was blessed by a special relationship with his niece Michele Meyer (Robin), whose father, Larry, was Rich’s best friend.

Rich retired in 2001 from the Denver Regional Transportation District. Among Rich’s passions were fishing and hunting, pastimes he started even as a young man in Brooklyn where he fished in Sheepshead Bay and hunted on Long Island with his friend, Jim Zanetakos. He organized deep-sea fishing outings in Cabo San Lucas and enjoyed cruises to Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean.

Rich fulfilled a life-long dream to live in a log home, one that he spent hours and hours restoring, caulking, and decorating in a Southwestern rustic style.

Rich’s contribution to the annual Team Hope Walk fundraiser for HDSA was to display the American flag as participants sang the National Anthem before starting out on their walk. As a veteran, Rich was proud of that recognition. He and Marcella were honored at a Celebration of Hope in February of 2020 for their many years of service to the Rocky Mountain chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.

His family would like to thank the First Light Home Care nurses, and especially Demetrius, his longest serving caregiver; the Veterans Administration, especially their Home-Based Primary Care Staff; the Inter-Canyon Fire Protection Department; and Mount Evans Home Health Care and Hospice.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a donation in Rich’s honor, please consider:

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of HDSA, P.O. Box 7066, Denver, CO 80207, or

Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District, 7939 South Turkey Creek Rd., Morrison, CO 80465.

Rich’s father believed that everyone has a job in heaven. Undoubtedly, Rich is busy cleaning and organizing the place, all the while teaching everyone to “R-e-l-a-x.” And although Rich would respond to this wish from his family with a resounding “I don’t speak Spanish,” they would like to say to him, “Vaya con Dios. Que en paz descanse.”