Richard C. Gallaway

Wow that was a great final round!

Richard Childs Gallaway, Dick- was born on March 6, 1936 in Arcadia, Nebraska to Childs Daniel and Selma Marie Gallaway. As many of you know, this was in the midst of the Great Depression. Dad was the middle child. His sister Maxine, younger brother, Dale, and Dad grew up as close siblings on a rural farm. The younger years were tough. As kids we heard many times how they played with spoons for footballs , or walked up a hill both ways to school with a foot of snow on the ground and holes in their shoes.but we knew it was tough by the era in which they were kids. Oh, we so enjoyed the tales Dad would tell us, such as the time they were walking home from school and as they crossed the bridge, Dad would grab his friend Georgie's lunch pail and toss it over the side. Georgie would have to run down and get his pail crying all the way, but always chose to walk home with Dad the next day. Then, there was the time they helped sister Maxine to the roof of the barn and then left her stranded and refused to help her down. Also remembered, were the times he picked corn by hand, drove a team of horses in the fields, or the following which is my favorite: One Friday night Litchfield High was playing Arnold High in football. After a particular running play, the team formed the huddle, and realized they were missing their running back. Dad asked "Where is Jack?" They looked up and saw him in the other team's huddle. So Dad went to Arnold's huddle and retrieved Jack!
For those of you who knew Dad, as we did, Dad was very decisive. In the 8th grade, he met Carol Rainforth for the first time. When he got home from school, that day he told his mother that he met the girl he was going to marry, and he did 7 years later. Before their marriage, he served his country in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He was stationed in northern Japan for two years before finishing his military career in 1958 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Before his

discharge, Dad made the 8th grade vision and dream come true. He married Mom on January 27th, 1957.
Dad and Mom moved to Grand Island Nebraska and lived there from 1958-1971. During that time they had two children, Deb (Crisco) and Rod, along with several stray cats, dogs, hamsters, fish and many other animals. For those of you who knew Dad well, you know that he did everything with 150% effort. "BG" (before golf) as we refer to it, Dad was a bowler and he was, at least in his mind, a very good one. He traveled to tournaments and played in two leagues per week, but then in 1968 a cousin introduced him to GOLF. This became his passion and because of his dedication he quickly moved from a beginner to a one handicap. And he had SEVEN holes-in-one to prove it.
We lived in Beebe until 1979. Then, for the next 15 years, he moved wherever SuperSweet Feeds asked him to go. That included stops in Girard, KS, Hutchinson, KS back to Grand Island Nebraska, Paris, TX and finally Garden City, KS. His dream was always to come back to Arkansas, and they did 15 years ago and settled in Searcy. He spent those years not only playing golf, but following his grandsons in golf tournaments across the country. He made many trips to wherever Rod was living at the time, and watched his grandkids play all kinds of sports and activities.

Four years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer. During this time, he experienced a number of surgeries and a serious car accident, but always had a very positive attitude. In the fall of 2009, the pain returned in his hip, and in January 2010, it was confirmed that the cancer was back and was now terminal. Dad gave it his all, but this time the Lord called him home on July 13, 2010.

Richard (Dick), is survived by his wife of 53 years, Carol Gallaway; one son, Rodney Gallaway and wife Mary of Sugar Grove IL.; one daughter, Debbie Gallaway Crisco and husband Hal of Mcrae; one brother, Dale Gallaway and wife Linda of Grand Island, Neb.; one sister, Maxine Diefenbauga of Litchfield, Neb.; and four grandchildren, Scott and Nick Crisco and Sarah and Michael Gallaway.

A memorial service will be held Friday July 16 at 2 PM in the St. Paul Methodist Church with Rev. Mary Susan Hilliard officiating.
In lieu flowers, lasting memorials may be made to St. Paul's Methodist Church.

Services have been entrusted to Searcy-McEuen Funeral Home --Searcy, Arkansas.