Rick Gallant

Rick Gallant

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Richard “Rick” Gallant who died unexpectedly on Tuesday June 20, 2017 at his home in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Rick was born on July 4, 1952 in Exeter and was number two of seven Gallant kids. He attended Saint Michael’s School and graduated from Exeter High School in 1970. He also attended the University of New Hampshire.

Rick lived life to the fullest. He was often seen riding his unicycle “up Town Hill” and through the streets of Exeter. He didn’t dwell on the past or fear the future but lived solidly in the now. Rick was an avid ice dancer. He was nationally ranked and even made it as far as an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team. Skiing was also passion of Rick’s that he shared with his late husband, Manny, as well as with his son, Dan, and grandson, Brody. He was a double black diamond skier with the speed of a race car and the grace of a gazelle. Rick skied the world over – from the Swiss Alps, to the mountains of Chile, to the home he shared with Manny in Vail, Colorado.

Rick started working for the Boston & Maine (B & M) Railroad in 1974. He left the railroad for a short time to try his hand in advertising, then rejoined the B & M in 1984 – working his way up from operator to train dispatcher and, finally, to corridor manager. He left the B & M in 1993 to join the Southern Pacific (SP) Railroad in Roseville, California as a train dispatcher. In 1994, he took a management position in the train dispatcher’s office in Glendale, California.

After a short stint with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Rick headed to the California Public Utilities Commission, Rail Division (CPUC), where he was eventually promoted to Director of Rail Safety for the CPUC. He retired from the CPUC in 2012 to open his own consulting business and retired from that in 2016.

Rick was predeceased by his husband, Manuel “Manny” Q. Bautista, in 2015. He is survived by his children (from a previous marriage to Scotti Steinfeld), Daniel Gallant and his wife Krystyn, as well as his daughter, Jaclyn Gallant. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Brody and Cole Gallant, his mother, Cece Gallant of Exeter, New Hampshire, and his remaining siblings, Joe Gallant, Jim Gallant, Paul Gallant, and Jane Scheidler, as well as their respective spouses and children.

A private, family service was held in late June. In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request any donations be made to The Association of Blind Athletes of New Jersey. www.abanj.com

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A private family service was held in June.