Martin A. Gallito

Martin A. Gallito, of South Euclid, Ohio, died peacefully at his home on March 17, 2013. His wife of 50 years, Kay, was by his side.

Marty was born in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Anthony and Martha Gallito. The third of four siblings, Marty, Beatrice (deceased), Louise, and Danny, grew up in Cleveland on Angelus Ave. The family was a member of Holy Family Parish.

He graduated from East Tech High School, worked with his father, Anthony, as a bricklayer, and became a proud card carrying member of the Bricklayers, Masons, and Plasterers International Union of America. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the Corps of Engineers. He earned the rank of First Lieutenant while, amongst other things, overseeing the construction of an airfield for the United States Air Force on the Island of Guam which became strategically important during the Korean War.

The GI Bill afforded Marty the opportunity to attend The Ohio State University, from which he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. He then earned a fellowship to pursue post graduate studies in transportation engineering from Yale University.

After serving his country, Marty went on to serve the greater Cleveland community. For 28 years he worked for the Cuyahoga County Engineer’s office, starting as a Planning Engineer and working up through the positions of Design Engineer, Assistant Chief Engineer, and finally Chief Deputy County Engineer, a position that he held from 1977 to 1983. In 1983 then Governor Dick Celeste appointed Marty to the position of District Deputy Director of District 12 of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), servicing the three-county area of Cuyahoga, Geauga, and Lake Counties. He held that position for 8 years and returned to the County, where he again served as Chief Deputy Engineer until his retirement in 1997.

In addition, Marty taught transportation engineering courses at Cleveland State University and a Professional Engineering exam review course at the Cleveland Engineering Society. He also served as an expert witness on transportation and civil engineering matters. He was an active member of the Retired Service Directors Association, Retired Cuyahoga County Employees Association, the Cleveland Engineering Society; he was a former active member of the American Society of Highway Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Institute of Traffic Engineers among others.

Marty achieved much professionally, but his greatest pride was his family. He married his beloved wife Kay (nee Niepert) in 1962. Prior to the birth of their first child, Marty and Kay struck a deal: he got to name the girls; she got to name the boys. Apparently he had a predilection for the letter “P” (and a wife that didn’t mind indulging it); they had six daughters: Peggy, Pam, Patti, Penny, Paula, and Paige. His girls blessed Marty with six son-in-laws (Mike, Jeff, John, Ron, Ian, and Jody) and fourteen grandchildren: Rob, Matt, Laura, Jenn, Paige, Tim, Hannah, Jordan, Tyler, Danielle, Hilary, Owen, Kate, and Ryan.

Marty’s dedication to his community went beyond his decision to spend his professional life as a public servant. Over the years, he was an active member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, including co-leading a home construction with Habitat for Humanity. He also served on the South Euclid Planning Commission, and participated in many Elderhostel service projects including tutoring algebra and physics on a Navajo Reservation. He truly loved everything about Cleveland: he appreciated not only the Orchestra, the Art Museum, and Playhouse Square, but also the Browns and Indians (he was a Browns season ticket holder long enough to have seen Cleveland win a championship). He enjoyed walking through the metroparks and along the lakeshore almost as much as he enjoyed driving on the roads and bridges that he helped to build and maintain. He also loved Ohio State, and officially achieved Super Buckeye status. Marty made an immediate strong impression and left a lasting one; he will be sorely missed but not soon forgotten.

Marty’s family will receive family and friends at the DeJohn Flynn Mylott Funeral Home in South Euclid, Ohio on Wednesday, March 20 from 2-4pm and 5-8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10am on Thursday, March 21 at St. Gregory the Great Church of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. Burial will take place with Military Honors at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman, Ohio at 2:30pm.