Richard Warren Galloway

Moving Obituary of a “Highway Man”

Richard Warren Galloway passed away October 19, 2025, just 4 months shy of his 93rd birthday. 

Born February 9, 1933, to parents Clarence Lee and Tinah Mitchell Galloway from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Richard was raised in Belmont, NY, a small close-knit town in Upstate NY. 

Richard was the middle child of three children. An older brother, Rogers Lee Galloway, has long since passed. A younger sister, Barbara, by only ten months, is living with her daughter and son-in-law just north of Boston. God willing, we will celebrate Barbara’s 91st birthday this coming December. Barbara said that “it really got to her brother, Richard, that she was the same age as him for two months each year.” I’m told they call this “Irish Twins”. Barbara would use this, to no avail, to ask for the same privileges and curfew as her brother, which only hints at their competitive spirit.

Clarence left the family in Belmont early on, moving to Cleveland without completing the proper documentation with the state of NY, to divorce his wife and provide for the family he left behind, and marrying the girl he eloped with. Welfare provided some assistance, issuing a warrant for Clarence, demanding he pay back said assistance. Details are vague on how Clarence managed his case, having married more than one woman. 

This abandonment feeling followed Richard through his lifetime. It is important to point out that trauma such as this, old patterns and belief’s, can move forward through generations trapping harmful emotions if one does not break the cycle. 

Richard’s mother worked all sorts of odd jobs, in and around the town, to provide a loving home, educate the kids, and raise a garden to bring in seasonal nutritionally rich foods to preserve and store. This would last the family through the year. 

Tinah worked to provide an active home for the kids and herself to grow and thrive until she passed away of cancer at the early age of 55. She encouraged Richard to pull his own weight around the house and help out with garden chores, as Tinah did herself, which helped shape Richard through high school.

Her mission was providing a loving home, an education and surrounding the kids with active families in the community both in church and school, demonstrating and leading with life's lessons while playing all major school sports. Richard found a passion in learning to play the piano, the saxophone and the clarinet. 

Richard will be buried next to his wife Joan. They were married 57 years, she died December 9, 2011. 

Joan was from Cleveland’s Brooklyn, Ohio. She had graduated from St. John’s Nursing School in a time where women didn’t have careers. Her Grandfather paid for her nurse’s training. She never forgot that. She proudly starched her cap, like the other nurses, who had been hired to work in Washington, DC., from St. John’s. 

As luck would have it, Richard was stationed nearby. He had come down to DC to start taking pre-med classes at George Washington University. He was preparing for an honorable discharge, DD214, from the US Navy. His post was a medic. One night after work, they met through friends and married a year later. A year later, their first of ten children was born in January of 1955. In birth order they are; Christopher, Steven Mitchell, Valerie Ann, Pamela Ann, Alison Alaine, Evan Michael, Emily Jo, Mary Fredricka, Richard Warren, Jr., and Rogers Lee, (in order, as of 2025) from 69 to 59 years of age. 

Retiring both from the Navy and GWU with such a fast growing family, Richard and Joan decided it best to move and settle for a while in Richmond, Virginia where they would look for and find new jobs. They had promised to raise their family in a Catholic Church. St Mary’s was where they enrolled their children. A big fan of sports, particularly golf and tennis, a highlight was seeing Arthur Ashe playing tennis at the local Byrd Park Tennis Courts in the early days of Ashe’s tennis career to be a top ranked USA player. 

Loving and growing together, many times in front of the fire listening to pieces of classical music and ‘Big Band’ jazz, later affording a piano. Richard and Joan spent their time at the Symphony, the Theatre, Art and Photography Museums, sometimes even amateur shows. He would write music pieces, she would listen, write or read their poetry by the fire. These were some of his favorite past times. He, like his mother, with Joan at his side, said he had “never met anyone who could stretch a dollar” like Joan, to provide an active busy home life for themselves and their ten children.

Survivors include Sons: Christopher & wife Melissa, Evan & wife Maria, Richard & wife Robyn, Rogers & wife Cathy; son-in law Glenn Mueller; Daughters: Valerie, Pamela & Husband Dale, Alison & Husband Peter, Emily, Mary; Sister, Barbara Galloway Selzer; Grandchildren: Jamie, Warren, Michael, Hannah, Tyler, Briana, Emily, Stephanie, Glenn Jr., Alison, Rogers, Merrin, Jaquelyn, Nicole, Madison, Lauren, Amanda, Abbey, Brian, Brett, Chelsea, Tony, Fred, Tinah, Kassidy, Dylan, Carmela, Austin, Anna, Taylor Ann, Samantha; Great Grandchildren: Moriah, Benjamin, Brixton, Luca, Ezra, River, Jared, Rog, Reynolds, Ryles, Asher, Anders, Raegan, Rosco, Marshall, Emmalou, James, Jolee, Kathrine, Lillian, Piper, Jude, Oliver, Vinny, Hayden, Kellen. 

Richard is also survived by his sister, Barbara Galloway Selzer (George Selzer, dec.) their son David (Liz Kimball) and their son Max. Their daughter, Faith Selzer and her husband Bill Messner, who Barbara resides with in Ames, Massachusetts. 

Richard is survived by his brother in laws Joseph and Frederick Jr. “Rocky” and their children, Joe. Renee, Danielle, Chrissy, Dean, Brett and Bonnie Santantonio. Cousin in-laws, Phyllis and Denise (Zemon) Sanantonio of Cleveland, Ohio. 

Richard joins Joan Santantonio in death with their second born son Steven. His Father & Mother in-law, Frederick and Antoinette Testa Santantonio. His Sister-in-law Marilyn Santantonio. His Father Clarence Lee, his brother Rogers Lee and wife Delores, brother-in-law George Selzer of DC. His daughter-in-law Lorraine Galloway of St Louis. 

Visitation, Mass and the Funeral will take place starting at 11am on Friday, Nov 7th at St. Mary’s Church in Charlevoix, MI, followed by a short procession to St Mary’s Cemetery. Richard will be laid to rest in a Highway Man’s Grave. A rose with long black ribbons with a dark red love knot, a kiss on his cheek and a Cross on his forehead sent by Father Louis Logan. A sign that Richard has been granted through confession, per Joan’s words on their headstone, to be together with Joan in Heaven with God. Father Louis sends this message with love and blessings through Father Peter Wigton at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Afterwards, a Second Line band of merry-makers will make its way to 508 Belvedere Ave for a 2pm Reception in the Belvedere Club at the 508 “Recreation” Cottage. All are invited to enjoy food and fare catered by Charlevoix’s Gray Gables Restaurant, Harbor Spring’s Vernales Restaurant and Tom’s Mom’s Cookies. 

Arrangements are coordinated with Hedges-Scott-Millard Funeral Homes of Camdenton, MO, and the Charlevoix Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes.