I had never heard of him, even though he lived somewhat near us. He won a couple billiards tournaments in his 30's and 40's. Looks like he was successful at whatever he attempted. I am paying my respect to a man who did it his way to the very end.
"Tribute: John Galland
April 6, 2007
John Galland
February 2, 1915 - March 30, 2007
Baptized Jean Marie Claude Galland. Twin brother to Noel. Born in Paris as the women of the family had fled their home in Picardie in Northern France to escape the advancing German Army during the First World War.
After several tries, school was Lacordaire where the Dominican Brothers permitted the very active twins to build their own tennis court. John later attended the Ecole Polytechnique in Belgium to study textile engineering as the family owned a textile mill.
Whilst doing his military service for the French Army in Algeria, then a French colony, France surrendered in 1940 and his regiment was disbanded, and they were told to get home as best they could. In France, the textile mill had been burnt by the advancing enemy so John decided to see the world. He hiked to Casablanca where he got himself hired as a deckhand on a freighter bound for the Americas. After many ports, he became ill and had to be hospitalized in Buenos Aries, Argentina, where he was left behind by the ship.
In Buenos Aires, he worked at the docks and saved his money. An opportunity arose, and for a song, he bought a very luxurious car, which of course had been owned by a little old lady!!! He then went to the poshest district in the city and approached a very high building’s doorman and asked him if for a few pesos, he could put his new car in the building’s parking lot. The doorman agreed, so John asked him if he could have a phone installed in the office, but was told no, so John then asked if the doorman would permit him to have just a phone connection with a very long cord that reached the sidewalk. This was arranged, and with a chair and his phone on the sidewalk, he sold his first car at a handsome profit. This was the beginning of a used car dealership.
Some time after, his twin, Noel, arrived in Buenos Aires and they decided to go to Chile where they had a contact with one of the Radzwill’s who sold them a gold mine. Things were going swimmingly until the ruling powers in Chile decided that all the gold mined had to be sold only to the government at a ridiculously low price. John and Noel felt that this was going to break them, and they took all the gold they had, got into the car, and crossed the Andes through Puna de Atacama into Argentina. Bandits abounded, so while one drove the car, the other had a gun on his lap.
John stayed in Argentina because he met and married my mother, Sylvia Bengolea-Cardenas. He bought a ranch and bought cattle lean, and sold them fat. When Peron came into power, he put fixed prices on wheat and cattle, and the ranch became no longer profitable. In 1944, I was born, Diana, their only daughter. John then started the first private finance company in Argentina and did extremely well until galloping inflation made having all your capital liquid a losing business.
He decided to move to Montreal, Canada where his twin was thriving, and soon, so did he. In the early ’70s, the Separatists in Quebec pushed a lot of business out of the province and John started looking for rental property to buy in the U.S. In Bremerton, he found Kitsap Lake Mobile Home Park, where he lived happily with my mother. She died in 1997. My father died March 30 at 92 and in his bed. He worked until the week before his death, and to our horror, still drove (alone), as nobody else would ride with him.
As a young man, he was a great tennis player. In his 30s and 40s, he won several billiard tournaments at the Jockey Club in Buenos Aires. Later he was a great champion in skeet shooting and a member of the Canadian team at the Pan Am games and the Canadian Athlete of the year in 1967. He then swam until the lifeguards at the Bremerton pool told him he was too old and were too tired of rescuing him.
He was also a talented decoy carver who won 1st place at a San Francisco Carver’s Convention for a timed, in-front-of-judges carve.
A great family man, he took care of my mother during her many years of illness with great love and tenderness.
He is survived by myself, Diana Galland and my husband, Clarke Peterson of Glacier, Wa. His niece, Frances Galland of Sydney, Australia, and his twin nephews, Rupert and Beaufort Galland of Melbourne, Australia.
All my gratitude and thanks for the great help, patience and kindness goes to Sharon Anderson, his friend and mine. Also, to his dear, loyal friends, Barbara and Rudy Parac and to all our other dear friends and tenants.
A memorial service will be held at the Kitsap Lake Mobile Home Park Recreation Hall on Friday, April 6 at 12:00 noon."
April 6, 2007
John Galland
February 2, 1915 - March 30, 2007
Baptized Jean Marie Claude Galland. Twin brother to Noel. Born in Paris as the women of the family had fled their home in Picardie in Northern France to escape the advancing German Army during the First World War.
After several tries, school was Lacordaire where the Dominican Brothers permitted the very active twins to build their own tennis court. John later attended the Ecole Polytechnique in Belgium to study textile engineering as the family owned a textile mill.
Whilst doing his military service for the French Army in Algeria, then a French colony, France surrendered in 1940 and his regiment was disbanded, and they were told to get home as best they could. In France, the textile mill had been burnt by the advancing enemy so John decided to see the world. He hiked to Casablanca where he got himself hired as a deckhand on a freighter bound for the Americas. After many ports, he became ill and had to be hospitalized in Buenos Aries, Argentina, where he was left behind by the ship.
In Buenos Aires, he worked at the docks and saved his money. An opportunity arose, and for a song, he bought a very luxurious car, which of course had been owned by a little old lady!!! He then went to the poshest district in the city and approached a very high building’s doorman and asked him if for a few pesos, he could put his new car in the building’s parking lot. The doorman agreed, so John asked him if he could have a phone installed in the office, but was told no, so John then asked if the doorman would permit him to have just a phone connection with a very long cord that reached the sidewalk. This was arranged, and with a chair and his phone on the sidewalk, he sold his first car at a handsome profit. This was the beginning of a used car dealership.
Some time after, his twin, Noel, arrived in Buenos Aires and they decided to go to Chile where they had a contact with one of the Radzwill’s who sold them a gold mine. Things were going swimmingly until the ruling powers in Chile decided that all the gold mined had to be sold only to the government at a ridiculously low price. John and Noel felt that this was going to break them, and they took all the gold they had, got into the car, and crossed the Andes through Puna de Atacama into Argentina. Bandits abounded, so while one drove the car, the other had a gun on his lap.
John stayed in Argentina because he met and married my mother, Sylvia Bengolea-Cardenas. He bought a ranch and bought cattle lean, and sold them fat. When Peron came into power, he put fixed prices on wheat and cattle, and the ranch became no longer profitable. In 1944, I was born, Diana, their only daughter. John then started the first private finance company in Argentina and did extremely well until galloping inflation made having all your capital liquid a losing business.
He decided to move to Montreal, Canada where his twin was thriving, and soon, so did he. In the early ’70s, the Separatists in Quebec pushed a lot of business out of the province and John started looking for rental property to buy in the U.S. In Bremerton, he found Kitsap Lake Mobile Home Park, where he lived happily with my mother. She died in 1997. My father died March 30 at 92 and in his bed. He worked until the week before his death, and to our horror, still drove (alone), as nobody else would ride with him.
As a young man, he was a great tennis player. In his 30s and 40s, he won several billiard tournaments at the Jockey Club in Buenos Aires. Later he was a great champion in skeet shooting and a member of the Canadian team at the Pan Am games and the Canadian Athlete of the year in 1967. He then swam until the lifeguards at the Bremerton pool told him he was too old and were too tired of rescuing him.
He was also a talented decoy carver who won 1st place at a San Francisco Carver’s Convention for a timed, in-front-of-judges carve.
A great family man, he took care of my mother during her many years of illness with great love and tenderness.
He is survived by myself, Diana Galland and my husband, Clarke Peterson of Glacier, Wa. His niece, Frances Galland of Sydney, Australia, and his twin nephews, Rupert and Beaufort Galland of Melbourne, Australia.
All my gratitude and thanks for the great help, patience and kindness goes to Sharon Anderson, his friend and mine. Also, to his dear, loyal friends, Barbara and Rudy Parac and to all our other dear friends and tenants.
A memorial service will be held at the Kitsap Lake Mobile Home Park Recreation Hall on Friday, April 6 at 12:00 noon."
