Former Whitemarsh Cop 'Naz' Galie Passes Away at 79

WHITEMARSH, PA — A former township police officer has passed away.

Nazareth J. Galie, 79, of Hatfield, died on July 15 at a senior care facility in Warminster, Bucks County, according to an obituary with the Moore, Snear & Ruggiero funeral home.

Galie, known as “Naz” to friends and close acquaintances, made a lasting impression on the greater community, according to tributes that have been pouring out online from those who knew him best.

“Remember Naz very much in ’70-’80 Whitemarsh; perhaps one of the friendliest officers I’ve ever met,” Plymouth Meeting resident Robert Schratz commented on the Whitemarsh Township Police Department’s Facebook page.

The department stated that the men and women in blue send their condolences to the family of the retired officer’s family.

Others in the community went on to share thoughts and funny anecdotes about Galie from his time policing the Whitemarsh community.

“I took Drivers Ed lessons from Naz,” Lucy Chiarolanza Trabosh posted on the department’s Facebook page. “We would run errands: stopped at a florist so he could order flowers for his wife, stopped in to see Joe Frazier at his house on Germantown Pike to answer a question from Joe. I learned how to park, enter and exit business parking lots into traffic, pull in and back out of driveways. A true Officer and a Gentleman.”

Most area residents who posted sent their condolences to Galie’s family, saying that while Galie was a great police officer, he was also simply a superb human being.

“Such a beautiful person inside and out,” wrote Kristina Lebold Antonelli. “RIP Naz! My prayers to his family.”

According to his obituary, Galie was born in Norristown in 1942 to parents Nazareth and Gladys (Supplee) Galie.

The Pennsylvania native had lived in Hatfield, Worcester and Conshohocken during his lifetime.

Galie leaves behind a wife, Joanne (Ratkowski) Galie of Hatfield; three sons, Brian, Kevin and Keith; three daughters-in-law, Marybeth, Kim and Kirsten; and seven grandchildren, according to the obituary.

Friends and relatives are invited to a life celebration today from 12 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Moore, Snear & Ruggiero Funeral Home at 300 Fayette Street in Conshohocken.

A graveside service will follow at 2:30 p.m. at George Washington Memorial Park at 80 Stenton Avenue in Plymouth meeting.

Memorial contributions in Galie’s name may be made to The Alzheimer’s Foundation.