Nadine Gallo
Hadley, MA – Nadine Anne Gallo, born on April 12, 1936 to Nora
O’Connor Howard and Stephen Howard in New York City, died on September
5, 2025 in Hadley surrounded by her loving family. She was fourth in a
family of six children, of immigrant parents who raised their family
in the Upper West Side, then moved to Jackson Heights when Nadine was
fifteen years old.
After attending Mother Cabrini High School, she attended St. John’s
University where she met Ernest Gallo. Married in 1955 and adored by
her husband, they were together for 67 years until he passed in 2021.
They loved each other dearly, enjoyed lots of laughter and in their
later years, took frequent walks in the gardens of the Yiddish Book
Center and the Silvio Conte Wildlife Refuge.
She is survived by her younger sister Frances Rapport and her husband
Robin; four adult children (Edward, Francis, Maria, and Geoffrey);
three grandchildren (Sean Paradiso and his wife Stephanie Amon, Nora
Gallo and her husband Eli Bakal, and Nathan Gallo); and one
great-grandson, Leonardo Ernest Paradiso. She was predeceased by her
siblings Edward, Dennis, and Roy Howard, and her sister Bernadette
Walsh. Surviving in-laws are her sister Bernadette’s husband Michael,
and two sisters-in-law: Mary Howard and Anne Howard. She also has many
nieces and nephews, her closest and dearest being Maura Hein in Kansas
and Emily Rapport of Upstate NY.
Nadine’s mother, Nora, emigrated to the United States in 1923 from
Brosna, Ireland. Nadine was very proud of her Irish Heritage. In 2013
she published her book, Impetuous Heart, which was historical fiction
based on a version of her mother’s adventures in Ireland prior to the
Irish war of independence. In addition to that, she wrote many short
stories and poems, often humorous, sometimes getting to the very core
of emotion. She also taught writing workshops in the Hadley Senior
Center.
She earned a BA in education from UMass Amherst in 1967 and later, an
MA in English Literature, with a focus on Old Irish. A well-loved
teacher for many years, she taught fourth grade in South Hadley, and
middle school in Easthampton and Turners Falls. She retired early from
teaching to explore fiber arts, becoming an avid quilter, spinner, and
weaver, expanding on her love of knitting, crocheting, and braiding
rugs. A lifelong artist in oil, acrylic, and water colors, many people
knew her from her artistic endeavors over the years, as she explored
all of these arenas with a lively spirit. She was a woman of humor,
vivid colors and patterns; a poet with a keen eye and a bright,
irreverent sense of humor, which she retained right to the very end.
Those who knew her enjoyed her energetic character, which will
continue in our hearts.
The family will hold a Celebration of Life for both Nadine and Ernest,
at the Inn on Boltwood in Amherst on September 21, 2025 starting at
noon, including lunch. Those who would like to attend, due to the
Inn’s need for a count, please RSVP to gallom12@gmail.com or text
413-387-8993.