Rev. Robert I. Galatas' Obituary
Rev. Robert Ingram Galatas passed into the loving arms of our Lord on Sunday, August 11, 2024 surrounded by those who he loved & dearly loved him. As a friend, Bob brought a sense of humor & care to so many people. Even in his final months of significant health challenges, he was gentle, humorous in spirit, & thankful to those who cared for him. As a spouse, he was loyal, selfless, and a world traveler companion. As a father, he was simply, a show-up Dad - there was never a time his daughters & grandchildren did not feel his presence, respond to his wit, & receive his unconditional love. As a devoted Christian & United Methodist minister, “Brother Bob” lived up to John Wesley’s message of religious tolerance and liberty of conscience.
Rev. Galatas was born on June 3, 1930 in New Orleans, LA, to Grace Ingram & Morgan Roland Galatas. He was preceded in death by his twin brother Jimmy. He earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Accounting from Southeastern Louisiana College & a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, TX. Over the course of his 38-year career, he touched countless congregants lives in the 14 churches he served throughout parishes of the United Methodist Church Louisiana Conference. After his retirement, Rev. Galatas served on the pastoral staff at First United Methodist Church, Clearwater FL, where he had married his bride, Shirley Ann Harris Galatas on July 19, 1957.
In his spare time, Bob meticulously repaired & restored furniture for family & friends. Some of his pieces will live on in the Clearwater Historical Society Plumb House Museum. He enjoyed painting many of his parsonages, Sunday school rooms, & daughters’ homes served as his pallet. He also loved watching NFL football and due to his brevity in the pulpit, his members were afforded the same opportunity! Always the faithful servant, and likely in search of serenity, he slept many a night under the stars on camping trips across America with his young family.
Rev. Galatas is survived by a family he loved & who loved him. To him, family was everything. He officiated the marriages of his three daughters to his sons-in-law, Ruth Ann to Rick Sands of Westport CT, Patty to Jim Von Steen of Greensboro NC, and Mary to David Tanner of Dallas, TX. “Grandpa” also baptized his three, beloved grandchildren, Morgan Von Steen & Connor Von Steen both of New York City, and Lundon Tanner of Dallas, TX. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Shirley Galatas and his sister Merriam Pauley & her family. Please join Rev. Galatas’ family in memorializing & honoring his years of service & devotion on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Clearwater First United Methodist Church - in lieu of flowers, family has requested donations be made to First United Methodist Church’s Music Fund at 411 Turner Street, Clearwater, FL 33756.
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