Kathleen "Kathy" Galli

Kathleen “Kathy” Galli, 68, of Silver Spring Twp., Mechanicsburg, died Sunday, January 29, 2023, at home, surrounded by her family.

Born March 29, 1954, the daughter of Lemuel and Florence (Smallzel) Yost, Kathy grew up in Central PA, the third of five siblings in a loving family with whom she remained close all her life. Known as Chitzy to her family and closest friends, she enjoyed spending time outdoors, bicycling, gardening with her family, and exploring surrounding fields and streams. After high school she took classes at both HACC and Millersville University, earning an associate’s degree. From a young age she was passionate about art, focusing on figure study, oil painting, and photography. It was after college in 1976 while employed at a photographic retail store in Lemoyne that she met her future husband, Joe.

In 1977 she began her full-time career at IBM in Mechanicsburg, working her way up through various positions to become a parts planner, which she enjoyed very much. Kathy and Joe married in 1978; they went on an extended honeymoon in western Montana and Idaho while working together to create a photographic record for a local outdoor guide and outfitter, going on horseback and trekking on foot into pristine backcountry for weeks at a time. This once-in-a-lifetime adventure sparked an abiding love for the western wilderness and they returned to visit several more times over the years.

Kathy and Joe designed and built their dream home in Mechanicsburg in 1985, and soon thereafter started a family, adopting three children, Mychael, Christina, and Gabriella, at which time Kathy left IBM to become a stay-at-home mom. She instilled and nurtured a love of reading and learning in her children from a very young age, so that they entered kindergarten already knowing how to read and count, and was always supportive and encouraging of their academic and creative endeavors. She always had a camera close at hand to capture memories and family milestones as the children grew up.

In her spare time Kathy enjoyed gardening, cooking, and baking; and her love of art remained with her throughout her life, but above all she was most passionate about studying the Bible and growing her faith.

Surviving are her husband of 44 years, Joseph F. Galli; three children, Mychael L. Galli, Christina K. J. Galli, and Gabriella M. Galli, all of Mechanicsburg; father, Lemuel L. Yost Jr. of Waynesboro PA; sisters, Starr Todd (husband, Bruce) of Bishopville, MD, and Antoinette Rabold (husband, Rich) of Waynesboro PA; brother, Lemuel Yost III of New Buffalo PA; and many nieces and nephews.

Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Central PA, (hospiceofcentralpa.org), 1320 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

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