Mr. Grant William Gallo

Grant William Gallo passed away on Thursday, January 15, 2015. He was born in Long Beach, CA on October 2, 1984, attended Newport Harbor High School and residing in Huntington Beach, CA. Grant was the cherished son to Alyson Michie and the late David Gallo; adored grandson of Delores and John Place and to the late Joseph Gallo, William and Alexina Michie; beloved brother of Sigourney Gallo and fiance Alex Funderburk, Mackenzie Garvey and husband Ben Garvey, and Amber Hammond; favored uncle to Hudson William Garvey and Harriet Rose Garvey. Grant was an amazing, intelligent and handsome man with the ability to make anyone smile or laugh. He is deeply missed by all of his family and friends. Please Visit GiveForward: In Loving Memory of Grant Gallo - http://gfwd.at/1DW0s7T ********* Born on October 2, 1984, in Long Beach, CA, Grant William Gallo was the most handsome little baby you could ever hope to see, and he was an especially wonderful blessing to Alyson, and her late husband David. With his big eyes and bright blonde hair (yes, he was born a blondie), he melted their hearts immediately. Born on the same day as Gandhi, Grant was also clearly meant to bring love, passion and balance into this world, even for the all-too-short time we had with him. His beautiful soul may have left this planet on January 15, 2015, but he is still with us and will remain in our hearts every day. Grants parents fell in love with him, as all parents do, with every meticulous move he made. As he grew, so did they and he quickly showed his charismatic nature thru his interactions with them. As the middle child, he was sort of a lone wolf in many ways, but extremely intelligent and observant. Grant had the mind of an engineer and could construct anything he put his mind to, especially with his Legos. At one point, he was even given an old train engine, meant to be built with instructions so that all of the inner-workings and gears could be seen. Without the instructions, his father David feared they were out of luck or would need to exchange it. Grant managed to assemble it flawlessly at an age where most kids could barely tie their shoes. While intelligent and capable of entertaining himself, Grant was also incredibly social and had the ability to his make his parents laugh at any given moment. This only encouraged him to attempt to make others happy and bring laughter to their world; and he never failed. Grant's electrifying personality and contagious smile captivated each person he came in contact with from birth up thru the day he passed. Grant was a brilliant child and his intellect carried on into adulthood. He was also extremely athletic. Grant played water polo in high school at Newport Harbor, learned to snowboard the first day he ever strapped in, enjoyed karate and skateboarding and just naturally picked up any sport he tried. He also really loved playing Bocce Ball with his family and formed great memories in doing so. Grant was not only talented in sports, but enjoyed shooting various rifles and firearms. He was responsible and educated with the guns he shot and would often show-off his skills at various shooting ranges. Grant also loved camping and the wilderness. He had an affinity for animals and could probably charm even the untamable beasts. In addition to his admiration of horses and horseback riding, grant could often be seen playfully engaging with dogs, cats, birds, iguanas… you name it, they all flocked to Grant, just as all of you standing here today did. Alyson, Grant's mother was born in Scotland and moved to the US before Grant was born. Raising her 3 children in Corona Del Mar and later Back Bay, Alyson shrived to encourage Grant to reach his full potential and use his amazing passion, intellect and wit. Grant had the world in the palm of his hand and so much life left to live. From his father, David, Grant learned not only the Italian process for cooking, but he truly loved it and made it an art. Grant was happy and comfortable in the kitchen and absolutely enjoyed the art of preparing a meal. He thrived in such settings and longed to learn more and improve. Grant was the perfect balance of his parents - he had the pride of a Scotsman and the charm of an Italian; He had a strong-willed personality but a soft, loving heart. Grant was also the lone brother in between two amazing sisters. He looked up to his big sister Mackenzie and felt extremely protective of his younger sister, Sigourney. He absolutely adored them both – he loved to tease them with his mischievous ways but would stand up to anyone who thought they could do the same. He embraced his sisters and loved them deeply. Reminiscing about their childhood with Grant, each sister has nothing but fond memories, laughter, and love for their dear brother. He clearly felt the same for them and while independent; he clung to his sisters for support and love whenever needed. He found solace in the comfort of many close friends and is often described by all of them as loyal and loving; Hilarious and adventurous. Amber may not be blood but is the equivalent to a sister and was also blessed by his friendship and brotherly nature from childhood to the present. Grant loved to joke around and mess with Amber but was always grateful for her friendship. Grant also found a friend and brother in Jake, especially in recent months after grieving the loss of his father. Grant was able to open up and found a new side of himself as he had a big brother to trust and listen. Grant and Jake spent time in reflection and Grant shared with him his goals and excitement for life. Once again, the memories are overwhelmingly joyous, funny and endearing as various moments in time are recalled by all of his loved ones. Grant became a proud uncle to both Hudson and Harriet, born to Mackenzie and her husband Ben. His whole world changed and he was in an absolute state of bliss holding his nephew for the first time. He was unable to meet Harriet, but we are all responsible for helping both of these children know how amazing and cherished their uncle was. In love, Grant met Norine at the age of 23. Their initial passionate, fierce attraction turned to a deep, more vulnerable and loving connection that only made them stronger as they grew older. Realizing their connection was undeniable, they faced many challenges together, over the last 7 years, and sought to bring out the best and grow with each other. Grant means "Stand Fast" in Gaelic and he did more than live up to that name, he embraced it. Grant stood by everything he believed in and took life by the reins. He held his ground firmly and even dug his heels in when he set his mind on something. There are so many amazing memories of Grant and he really did have it all – Grant was charming, witty, handsome, intelligent, funny, and passionate and he had a playful, loving spirit and a heart of gold. It's nearly inconceivable that he is not still here on this Earth with us. His spiritual presence can still be felt today, his physical presence is beyond deeply missed and the memories of him will go on forever. Grant was the cherished son to Alyson Michie and the late David Gallo; adored grandson of Delores and John Place and to the late Joseph Gallo, William and Alexina Michie; beloved brother of Sigourney Gallo and fiancé Alex Funderburk, Mackenzie Garvey and husband Ben Garvey, and Amber Hammond and Jake Klingensmith; favored uncle to Hudson William Garvey and Harriet Rose Garvey. To honour Grant, he would certainly want us all to dwell on the happy memories we shared with him, let the grief fade over time but always remember him for who he was – a modern day prince with a heart of gold, who had a passion for life and a love of laughter. Grant is at peace now. As we look to the horizon with the hope of seeing him again some day, for now we say farewell. You are deeply missed and fiercely loved, sweet Grant.