John T. Galvan Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

John T. Galvan, 76, passed away Sunday in a local hospital after a brief illness. He was born in San Jose and had lived in Benicia since 1947. John was a graduate of Benicia High School in 1957, earned his Bachelor's degree from San Jose State in 1961 and finally his Masters degree from University of Nevada-Reno in Education and School Administration. John worked in Education for more than 33 years. He was a coach, teacher and administrator at both Benicia High School and Liberty High School during his career. He also coached football and baseball for many years. Whether he was teaching or coaching, the high school was his passion. He loved the City of Benicia, its history and serving the community. He loved helping troubled kids and working with high school athletes to make them better. For the past 15 years, John has poured wine. He worked at BV Cellars early in the 2000s, but most recently he worked at Cakebread Cellars. John loved to chat and get to know people, so pouring wine was a perfect pairing. John was a member and financial secretary for the Native Sons of the Golden West; he was an avid supporter of Relay for Life; was a member of the Solano County Board of Education; former member of the Benicia Rotary Club; enjoyed playing golf; and was a huge fan of both the Giants and 49ers. John is survived by his children Jennifer (Jeff) Galvan-Trezza, Nikki (Elana Edelman) Galvan, Gigi (Dave) Hansell and Tammy (Brian Houston) Galvan; sister Arlinda (Larry) Watson; his grandchildren John Thornburg, Danica Green, Zoe Edelman and Cooper & Kaylee Hansell; and his nephews Rick, Brett and Jim Watson. He was preceded in death by his wife Mitzi in 1994. Vigil services will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 9th at Passalacqua Funeral Chapel, with visitation starting at 2:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 10th at St. Dominic's Church, located at 475 East I Street, followed by a reception at the BDES Hall, located at 140 West J Street. The Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the Family prefers donations be made to the Benicia High School Athletic Department.

John T. Galvan

March 27, 1939 - July 5, 2015