Peter P Gallinaro

Peter Paul Gallinaro of Wilmington passed away on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. He was 69 years of age. Peter was the son of the late Peter and Jennie (Vaudo) Gallinaro.

A resident of Wilmington, MA for the past eight years, Peter was raised in Somerville and Burlington. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area in the early 1980's for his work at the IRS and lived in Virginia and Maryland prior to his retirement and return to Massachusetts in 2013.

Family and friends loved, respected and admired Peter for his generous spirit, determination, sense of humor and principles. He faced the obstacles and illnesses in his life with courage and real grit. Although he was not able to play on his beloved high school sport teams, he participated by coaching, overseeing the equipment players needed, accompanying them on away games and just being a good friend. In October 2021, he was thrilled to be invited to the Burlington High School Hall of Fame dinner where the football team from the Class of 1970 was being inducted. He was reunited with many friends whom he hadn't seen for years and he glowed when he spoke of that night. Peter also was adept with audio-visual equipment and friends remember his involvement with running the audio-visual equipment in high school.

Peter was interested in politics and after graduation from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst he served on the Finance Committee in the Town of Burlington and also volunteered in local campaigns. While his work at the IRS precluded his working actively in political campaigns, he enjoyed discussing the latest issues both domestic and international. Peter could argue his views forcefully but never in a mean spirited or condescending manner.

Besides sports and politics, Peter enjoyed good food and cooking. Prior to his back surgery that limited his ability to safely cook, he would often cook Italian food for his housemates in Virginia or when he invited friends for dinner in Crofton, MD. Back in Massachusetts he often hosted parties, especially Super Bowl parties, for cousins and friends. He loved seeing people and the last two years were especially difficult because of the isolation imposed by the pandemic. Still, as restrictions eased in 2021, he was delighted to see people again and was especially happy when his cousins Richard and Deb Dellovo's toddler grandchildren came to visit. Peter seemed to have a special knack with children, perhaps because of his height, and children were very comfortable with him.

Peter is survived by his sister Teresa, his best friend and cousin Richard Dellovo and his wife Debbie, and numerous cousins.

A Funeral Mass Celebrating Peter's Eternal Life will be held on Friday January 28, 2022 at 10 am in St. Thomas-Villanova Church 126 Middlesex Ave. Wilmington. Interment to follow at Lindenwood Cemetery, Stoneham.

Please consider donations in memory of Peter to the Greater Boston Food Bank 70 S Bay Avenue Boston, MA 02118 or to World Wildlife Fund 1250 24th St. N.W. Washington, DC.