Richard Gallien

Rich was born March 17, 1947 in Concord, NH to William and Rose (Mahair) Gallien. He was predeceased by both of his parents as well as his brothers James Gallien and Paul Gallien and brother-in-law, Paul Goyette.

He will be terribly missed by his wife, Elizabeth (Betty) Foote Gallien; daughter Lori Gallien and her husband, Russell Hawkes of Penacook (The Manor); brother Alfred (Al/Fred) Gallien and his wife Helen of Penacook, NH; sister Deborah Matott of Penacook, NH; sister Beatrice Goyette of Santa Maria, CA; brother William Gallien and his wife Ruby of Boscawen, NH; sister-in-law Cheryl Gallien of Seattle, WA, sister-in-law Elaine Gallien of Gresham, OR; dear friend Alan Andrian of Concord, NH; his large extended Gallien family; the Foote family; The Manor family and many friends. Finally, Baker, the believed family feline who is contributing emotional support while also getting up to her normal mischief.

Rich grew up in Penacook, NH and attended Penacook High School. He met the love of his life, Betty, when both were kids living in a special Penacook neighborhood called The Manor. They married and planted permanent roots there. Rich and Betty celebrated 61 years of marriage in August 2026 and yet they still did not have enough time together. Theirs truly is a once in a lifetime love.

Early on, Rich’s skills in carpentry and contracting were evident. He started his own contracting business and partnered with his brother Fred to form Gallien Builders. There are so many homes and commercial structures in New Hampshire for which he had a hand in building – including his own home.

Rich dedicated his life to caring for his family and in particular, Betty and Lori. He was just the most amazing father and husband; always there to help when needed – and it was often – with a matter-of-fact solution and guidance. He was a stoic person that quietly was of help to so many people. He was a real softy when it came to animals and adored the many cats that were part of the family over the years with Baker being the most recent. He loved spending time with his brother Fred who was both a brother and best friend and they would have coffee and conversation together most mornings and during the spring would spend time fishing. He was a great cook and enjoyed researching and trying out new recipes. Once Lori started working from home at his house, he lovingly prepared her lunch every workday and would deliver snacks to her office regularly. He and Lori truly had a special bond. He loved his chats and coffee with Alan at Alan’s restaurant – usually multiple visits per day. He was also a science fiction buff - books, movies and television shows. Anytime a new sci-fi was being released in theaters, a trip to see it with Lori was in order. He instilled in her the same lifelong love. Unfortunately, his tremendous math skills did not also pass down to her. To his family’s chagrin, he was a long-time Yankees fan; nobody’s perfect but in the eyes and hearts of his family, he was pretty damn close. His family hopes he will be remembered for his intelligence, sense of humor and most of all for his kindness and generosity.

He is so loved and will be endlessly missed.

A Celebration of Life for Rich will be held October 17th at 11am at Alan’s Restaurant, 133 N. Main Street, Boscawen, NH. Rich was not one for formality - casual/comfortable attire is the only requirement.

Donations in Rich’s memory may be made to the Pope Memorial Concord SPCA or any organization supporting the care and welfare of animals.