Dante Francis Gallerani

Dante was born in Monument Beach, in 1916, and raised in Sagamore, the only son of Rinaldo and Romilda Gallerani,. He grew up in a modest stucco home, built by his father, which was directly in the path of the Sagamore Bridge, and the house was moved twice to accommodate bridge construction..

Dante attended Bourne schools. His education at Bourne High School was abruptly halted at age 16 with the untimely death of his beloved mother. Dante felt compelled to help support his family with a job. He was hired to tie the steel rods inside the abutments of the new bridge. At age 19, he went to work for the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Company working on dredge boats. He eventually became a tug boat operator and spent two years, in that capacity, plying the waters in and around the island of Bermuda, prior to the outbreak of WWII. He enlisted in the Navy and was assigned to the Seabees CBMU569 and served in the Pacific, primarily on Treasury Island, and the Philippines. Upon his discharge in 1946, he went to work for Cape Cod Shipbuilding Co. in Wareham, MA as an assistant in the machine shop. Shortly thereafter, he was approached by the owner of the company, E. Leslie Goodwin, who asked Dante if he would be interested in working with a new material, fiberglass, and Dante was quick to accept the challenge. He became a pioneer in the fiberglass boat industry, and perfected his own formulas through trial and error. He studied chemistry at New Bedford Institute of Technology. Eventually, a new fleet of fiberglass boats emerged, replacing the old wooden boats.

Dante met his beloved wife, Mary Jane (Allan), an immigrant from Oxford, England, while working for Cape Cod Shipbuilding Co. Mary was the secretary to the owner. They were married in Corpus Christi Rectory, Sandwich, in June, 1956.

In the mid-1960’s, after an industrial accident he was diagnosed with Paget’s Disease and courageously dealt with its debilitating effects throughout his life. Dante studied real estate, and obtained his broker’s license. He virtually memorized the book entitled “Questions and Answers on Real Estate”. He and his wife opened their own office in 1968 at the Sagamore Rotary where they remained for 30 years. After the demolition of the Rotary, the office moved to Route 3A in Sagamore Beach. Dante was a member of the Cape Cod Board of Realtors, Inc. for 35+ years (now Cape Cod & Islands Assn. of Realtors, Inc.) and active on the Professional Standards, Grievance and Nominating Committees. He was also one of the first Mediators named by the Board. He held the GRI and CRS designations.

Dante was a voracious reader, and possessed a photographic memory. He enjoyed maintaining his home and yard, especially his flower beds and was a “handyman” In the truest sense of the word. He was a skilled mason having learned the craft from his father. Dante maintained a strong work ethic throughout his life and sought perfection in everything he did. He was a true gentleman and was devoted to his family. He also enjoyed traveling to the U.K., Italy, Bermuda and beyond.

Dante was a lifelong parishioner of Corpus Christi Parish, and served at St. Theresa’s Church in Sagamore as an usher and bell ringer for many years, prior to its closing. He was the recipient of the Marian Medal in 2002 from the Diocese of Fall River. He was a former member of the Sagamore Rifle Club and competed in both pistol and rifle up and down the South Shore. He also held membership in the Marconi Club and the VFW.

He was predeceased by his parents, and his two sisters, Lucy Yundt of Mashpee and Mary LeClair of Pocasset. He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary (Jane), his devoted daughters, Susan Amodeo-Cathey and Helen Lovell, son-in-law, Daniel Lovell, three grandchildren, Jeffrey Amodeo (wife Heather), Matthew Amodeo and Alicia Amodeo, two step-grandchildren, Crystal and Mark Lovell, and a great granddaughter, Jocelyn Amodeo.

A reception of the body and wake service will begin at 10.00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 324 Quaker Meetinghouse Road, E. Sandwich, MA; visitation will continue until the time of the funeral Mass which will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Burial follows at St. Peter's Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations in his memory be made to Corpus Christi Parish, or to a charity of one’s choice..