Stephen "Steph" Mark Galinos

Stephen embodied what a life well-lived means. Through all his illness and suffering he never let a minute go by when he wasn't enjoying all that life offers, making new friends, doing the things he loves like fishing, motorcycling, traveling, listening to music, cooking, entertaining, and spending as much time with friends and family as he could. He loved animals, especially his family pets through the years…Chewy the rabbit, our chocolate lab Brook, Ivy our yellow lab, and Harley, our current yellow lab and best furry friend.

What attracted me to Stephen was his zest for life and, of course, his looks! He was always looking for something fun. He was not a homebody and always wanted to be doing something, going somewhere, or trying new things. He loved making new friends and meeting new people. He loved the outdoors, especially anything on the water. They say opposites attract and we are living proof of that! However, we made it work and brought out the best in each other.

I feel blessed to have spent the last 42 years with Stephen building a life, raising a family, and creating so many beautiful memories. Stephen always says the best thing we ever did was adopt our beautiful daughter Isabel 25 years ago and I couldn't agree more. She's brought so much joy and light to our lives. 

For Stephen, Isabel's presence alone was enough to brighten his darkest days. He celebrated her achievements as if they were his own and even in her smallest gestures, he found great pleasure. She isn't just his daughter, she is his greatest gift.

His love for his Mom is evident in his care and concern for her. He never wanted her to worry about him and would often mask his suffering to protect her from worry. Family meant the world to Stephen and he loved making memories on holidays like Greek Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

One of Stephen's favorite things to do was travel. Every year he traveled with his motorcycle friends to the White Mountains for Laconia Bike Week. We've also taken trips to Vermont and Maine with this same group of friends. We took a nice trip by motorcycle to Nova Scotia with our friends Joe and Elaine in 2017. We've traveled to Saratoga Springs several times to spend time with Stephen's cousins. In 2019, we took his Mom to Greece for two weeks to celebrate her 80th birthday and Isabel's 21st birthday. We've been to Colorado a couple of times with friends and family. In 2020, we traveled to Montana for our friends' Steve and Sue’s wedding. We've taken several trips to Aruba with our friends, Billy and Darlene. In 2022, we traveled to Turkey with our friends, Oya and Jim. Every year, Stephen took a trip to Florida to visit with his friends, Marney, Scott, and his late friend Andy. Stephen has been on many fishing trips to Lake Champlain with his friends Ray, Billy, Steve, and Eric.  He's taken many trips with his brother George including to Montana, Idaho, and Canada. He loved all types of fishing and if he met someone into fishing, they became fast friends.

Perhaps, the best trip was our trip to China in 1999 to adopt Isabel. We spent two weeks with China 62 - five other families on the same journey to meet their daughters for the first time. After that, we had several reunions with the same group in Connecticut and Sturbridge, MA.  

It is clear to me why this man is so loved! In his 68 years on this earth, he has touched so many lives and made such an impression. I am proud to have spent the greater portion of mine as his wife. Thank you for making me a better person. I will love you forever!