Bill Galloway, a pillar in Rutherford for nearly a century, dies at 95

William Galloway Jr. was a father, pharmacist, historian, Army veteran, education advocate and community leader. For nearly a century, Galloway's life and his work were rooted in his community of Rutherford, where he was born in 1928 and where he passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, according to his obituary. He was 95.

Galloway grew up in a small section of Rutherford that welcomed black families at a time when segregation was rampant. In a 2013 video interview, produced by the Rutherford Civil Rights Commission, he described his street, Elm Street, and his high school as a haven.

"We knew one another’s families," he said. "We played with the white kids in the neighborhood. I had friends in town that I played with, and the school system was well integrated. We didn’t have problems. It was really, I thought, a great place to grow up."

Elsewhere, Blacks faced frequent and systematic discrimination. In high school, Galloway played football and basketball and ran track. When he and his fellow black student athletes traveled to other towns for games, inlcuidng Cliffside Park and Teaneck, they faced harassment and slurs.

When they shopped on Park Avenue in Rutherford, they were barred from sit-down service at counters. And along the Jersey shore, only two beaches were open to Blacks when he was growing up. On a trip to one of those beaches in Atlantic City, Galloway recalled that his family had to drive the whole way without stopping at restaurants or bathrooms because they were off limits to Blacks.

"As far as homes, we couldn’t buy any homes,” Galloway recalled. “Real estate agencies wouldn’t even look at us when it came to purchasing a home or moving around in the area.”

Galloway’s father was instrumental in leading the fight for integration throughout New Jersey. He was a role model to his children and stressed the importance of education – a legacy that Galloway has carried on in his life and community.

After graduating Rutherford High School in 1946, Galloway served for two years in the United States Army in the 761st Tank Battalion, also known as the Black Panthers, which consisted of Black soldiers who were not allowed to serve in the same unit as white troops. He attained the rank of private.

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After leaving service, he attended Syracuse University and Brooklyn School of Pharmacy. He worked as a pharmacist and in pharmaceutical sales, and was director of medical education for Hoffmann LaRoche, according to his obituary.

Galloway served for more than 10 years on the Rutherford Board of Education and was vice president of the high school’s Hall of Fame. He was active in the Lion’s Club and the Historical Preservation Committee.

In 2016, he fought successfully with fellow veterans to save American Legion Post 453, also known as the Murray-Hodge Post, where he was a former commander. The Rutherford post, which opened in 1948, welcomed the area’s Black veterans who were shunned at other posts.

Roger Bell, post chaplain, moved to Rutherford after serving in the Vietnam War. Everyone seemed to know and respect Galloway, he said. "It's hard to put into words," he said. "He was a wonderful person. There's nothing bad anyone can say about Bill."

Known to his family as Billy, Galloway was beloved, said his daughter, Wendi Melendez. Everywhere she went in Bergen County, if they learned she was Galloway's daughter, people would remark on how proud she must be. She was "the proudest daddy's girl," she said.

“He touched so many people’s lives and tried to be involved as much as possible in everything,” Melendez said.

Galloway also had a passion for jazz, football and genealogy. As he grew frailer in recent years, people in the Rutherford community stepped up to help her father, Melendez said. They ran errands, paid bills and cooked when he needed a hand.

“He was able to really thrive,” she said. “He had this town that he was so proud of, and they took care of him.”

Galloway is survived by his daughter, her husband Manuel Melendez and step-granddaughter, Taryn Melendez of Little Egg Harbor, and by nieces Roslyn Ashurst and Terri Ashurst of Rutherford. He is predeceased by his sister Jacqueline Ashurst and his parents.

Visitation will take place on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Calhoun-Mania Funeral Home, 19 Lincoln Ave., Rutherford. The funeral will take place Saturday at 10 a.m. 1st Presbyterian Church, 1 E Passaic Ave., Rutherford.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: William Galloway, a pillar of Rutherford NJ community, dies