Obituary of Walter Gallant

Walter Gallant of Largo Florida, formerly of Burlington MA passed away on May 30. His wife Patsy, daughter Maureen and close friends were by his side. Born on May 19, 1925 in Boston MA he moved to Burlington in 1955 where he raised his five children with his wife of 58 years Maureen (Larkin) Gallant. After losing his wife Maureen in 2002 he later married Mary (Patsy) Sanderson whom he shared eight years of marriage. Walter enlisted in the Navy at 16 (lying about his age) and was immediately sent overseas. During the invasion of the Marshall Islands his ship was sunk by a shore battery. As one of the surivors, he was taken to Pearl Harbor for treatment and then sent home for a 30 day survival leave. The transport ship returning wounded soldiers to the States was hit by a torpedo just 10 miles off the the Golden Gate Bridge and sank. After surviving the sinking of two ships and the loss of his left eye he was sent home to Boston to recover at the Chelsea Naval Hospital. Upon his discharge from the hospital he married his childhood sweetheart Maureen Larkin. After being honorably discharged from the Navy Walter was employed at Lawson Tool and Machine in Malden, MA for 20 years and later at the Wire Belt Corp. in Woburn, MA. As his family grew he often held down as many as three jobs simultaneously. In 1968 he started a rug cleaning business with his oldest son Kevin and in 1970 he opened Burlington Rent Tool with his youngest son Rick. Years later after attending night school to learn carpentry with his son Kevin he started a very successful business called Gallant Services. Along with his two sons they provided janitorial, carpentry, landscaping and plowing to the Middlesex Industrial Park in Burlington. A thriving landscaping business to this day. Walter was also a 4th Degree Knight with the Burlington Knights of Columbus. With his wife Patsy, Walter continued to enjoy the beautiful weather and warmth of close friends during his many years in Florida. Weekly dining and dancing, golfing and time spent with life long friends visiting from Burlington were treasured times. Active in his community of the Palm Hill Country Club he and Patsy traveled to many areas of the United States and enjoyed Cruises to Hawaii, the Carribean and Alaska. They were also volunteers at the Largo Cultural Center where they enjoyed seeing many popular artists, broadway plays and musicals. In the end, his wife Patsy, daughters Maureen, Kerri and Jeaneen, along with their children and two great grand children were the light of his life. He is survived by his wife of eight years, Patsy (Sanderson) Gallant and her five children, 17 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Two sons, Kevin Gallant and his wife Jean of Burlington and Rick Gallant and his wife Susan of Billerica. Three daughters who will deeply miss him, Maureen Mountain of Quincy, Kerri Grenier and her husband Joseph of Beverly and Jeaneen Mcleod of Hamilton, New Zealand. Eight grandchildren, Mark Mountain, Sandy Gallant, Karen Mehigan, Jacqueline Ambrose, Nicholas and Douglas Gallant and Brianna and Connor Grenier. Two Great grandchildren, Lauren and Mark Mountain. He was also Father in Law to the late Harold “Rusty” Mountain. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington on Friday, June 22 at 10 a.m. Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Thursday from 4-8 p.m. Interment in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Burlington