Help Sussanne Galbraith After John's Passing

Born April 26th, 1938, was John Galbraith, my grandfather. He was born near Boston, Mass, and raised from age 7 until adulthood in North Conway, New Hampshire. His earliest memories consisted of the end of WWII, and thus his fascination with history would grow, collecting numerous war memorabilia in his lifetime. He was a longtime Air Force veteran. He made many friends along the way, marrying my grandmother, Sussanne Galbraith, in 1966. They spent almost 60 years married. He fathered three children: my Uncle Rob, my Aunt Katy, and my Father James. All three of them would go on to make him a grandfather of 10 grandchildren total. He was beloved by all those who knew him. He had many hobbies, one of which was watching old Hollywood films. He could name any film; his favorite was Casablanca. He could also name any actor on the screen, his favorite being John Wayne. He went by many nicknames over the years. Growing up, his family called him "Jack," while my grandmother met him as "Johnny." He got known as "Dad" along the way and also "The Plumber." Eventually, he was known as "Papa" by his grandchildren. He talked like an old Hollywood movie star with that classic mid-Atlantic accent and a sense of humor that could make you fall over from laughter. His eyes were bright and full of life, and his smile brought joy to all in his presence.

My grandmother took care of him for the last 10 years of his life due to multiple illnesses, including asbestosis (induced by his time working as a plumber for Pratt & Whitney), congestive heart disease, and Alzheimer's. His life was taken quickly due to sepsis. My grandmother brought him to the hospital for what she believed was a broken leg from a fall on Friday (3/7/25). She soon would discover that he had low blood pressure and bacteria in the blood, landing him in the ICU. He was placed on "comfort measures" less than 2 hours before he died at Manchester Memorial Hospital in Manchester, CT, at 6:49 pm on March 11, 2025, living close to 87 years. My grandmother told me that night, "Don't be sad for him. He lived a very happy life. He wouldn't want you to be sad."

Unfortunately, now that my grandfather is gone, my grandmother will only be able to receive half of his pension and social security, leaving her with an unlivable wage. She is now 78 and facing heavy financial hardships. This money is to give my grandfather a nice ceremony, cover his cremation costs, and give my grandmother a bit of funds to get back on her feet. Anything you can donate helps. If you cannot donate, posting this GoFundMe to your public social media page will help as well. Although I didn't talk about her in this post much, my grandmother is just as amazing as my grandfather. She shows kindness and bravery every single day, and I hurt to watch her struggle as much as she has these last few days.

Thank you.

-Emily Galbraith