Wake for Marblehead football player draws hundreds

It was a chilly Sunday in Marblehead but you wouldn’t know it by the number of people who stood out in the cold waiting to say goodbye to 18-year-old James Galante.  For three hours, lines were wrapped around the Our Lady Star of the Sea Church as crowds gathered to say goodbye to the Marblehead high school football player who died in a crash last week.

“We lived across from the Galante’s,” said neighbor Donna Freddo. “When the kids were little, we became really good friends with them and we have wonderful memories of James growing up and all of our sports time together, we love you Galante’s.”

The Marblehead High senior was a starting cornerback who helped the team win its first-ever DIV 3 state championship. His death brought out not only teammates but the opposition as well.

“His teammates spoke very highly of him in there,” said Masconomet football coach Gavin Monagle. “He’s a leader, just a tough, tough kid. We saw it firsthand unfortunately the four times we play against him this year.”

James planned to major in physics and play football at Denison University in the fall. A dream cut short when his car went off the causeway last week.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said neighbor Bart Freddo. “I couldn’t even talk when I got off the phone. I wouldn’t even give my kids a hug. It’s just awful, they are the nicest family. I can’t say anything bad about them. It just breaks my heart.”

As the news spread, hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil for him last week and hundreds more lined up for his wake Sunday.

“It says a lot about the family and the program here and the community,” said Monagle. “It’s really special. “It’s a sad, sad loss for all the kids in the community, all the kids throughout the area, the families.”

He leaves behind parents, siblings, and an entire community.

“I just remember playing manhunt on the street with him every night when we were little,” said neighbor Nicole Freddo. “He was such a good kid. I’m going to miss him.”

James’s funeral will be Monday at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church.

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