Rest in Peace, my friend

I was told my black belt, Pete Galvano, in Florida passed away Sunday morning. He was a young man, under 50, but had a lot of health issues the last few years. That's Pete in the middle.

Pete came to me in the early 1990s when I opened my studio in Ft. Myers, FL. He was a PGA golf pro, teaching and competing. He loved Kenpo and earned his third degree black belt. That's Danny Sullivan on Pete's right, another Ft. Myers black belt from the same class. Pete would eventually open a studio in Foley, Alabama and relocate it to Pensacola, FL. Danny would open a studio in Covington, Lousiana, near New Orleans. That would have them seeing each other often and it allowed me to teach at both studios.

Pete always had a smile on his face. He was forever optimistic. Even when things were tough, he'd smile and work it through. I've known him for years and he was consistent. We kept in touch, he would call asking for advice and I'd keep up with what he was doing. He'd gone through a tough divorce and moved away from Ft. Myers. He re-married, a lovely lady named Karrie, who took care of Pete as his health declined. Pete started having issue several years ago and no doctor had an answer. He was diagnosed, re-diagnosed (and likely, mis-diagnosed), even going to the Mayo Clinic for answers. Nothing seemed to help much. Yet, he was always saying he was getting through it. His kidneys failed, he was on dialysis and even that presented problems.

Pete had an instance where he was taken by ambulance to the hospital and they were sure he was going to die. He didn't, but he had contacted me and essentially said his goodbyes. He told me how much he appreciated what I had done for him through the years.

His physical condition dictated that he close his studio. He was able to teach a little, holding classes on the beach when he could. He was fighting the decline.

I had been in touch with him about a week before he passed. Danny Sullivan called me on Oct 5, 2019 to tell that Pete had gone.
The funeral was just a few days after he passed and I was unable to attend due to distance and time. Two of his classmates from my Ft. Myers studio, Genie Byrd and Danny Sullivan were there to represent us.
I'll miss him.