In 2012, Mark Galo began serving as Student Ministry Pastor with the First Baptist Church Statesboro, specifically teaching students to become disciples.
While there, he touched many lives and formed priceless bonds with students and their families. In the early fall of 2022, due to pain and difficulties swallowing, Mark had scans of his throat that revealed cancer. It had also metasticized to his blood. His doctors recommended immunotherapy, but sadly, Mark passed away on October 9, 2022, under the care of Ogeechee Area Hospice.
In a Facebook post on the day of his death, First Baptist leaders said:
"We are heavy-hearted to announce that our Student Pastor, Mark Galo, passed away Sunday afternoon while under the care of Ogeechee Area Hospice. His family was with him, and his faith was certain and secure until his earthly end.
We sorrow, but not as those who have no hope. Through his ministry, Mark modeled his faith and lived for Christ, and he has now entered into his heavenly reward. May we all say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'"
Here, we will share stories of Mark and his ministry from some of those who knew him best.
J.J. Puccio shares about his friend Mark
J.J. Puccio was a great friend with Mark. I wanted to learn details about their friendship. I asked J.J. how they met. He replied, "I was on the student pastor search committee that brought Mark from his previous church to First Baptist Church about 11 years ago."
Puccio then shared more about his friendship with Mark. "Mark and I both love the Lord, and we were in church together. We both love Georgia Southern athletics and have a love for ice cream. Our families became really close. It was always God and then family, that made me want to be a better person. He always gave people an extra dose of grace. He was always very forgiving, kind, and understanding."
Puccio stated, "Mark was the perfect friend. If you ever needed anything, Mark was the person to go to. He was always available and intentional. Every Tuesday night for two years during the COVID season, most of our church families would gather in the parking lot together behind Chick-fil-A to hang out and eat."
Puccio is in charge of planning youth trips and stated, "Marks favorite event, was 'Rock the Universe' an annual weekend event trip, to Universal Studios where Christian bands came to perform. He really loved hearing the bands and riding rollercoasters with the students. He and enjoyed that trip a lot."
"He was a great friend and lived a virtuous life."
Adam Spitler
Adam Spitler talks about shared love of faith, family, football -- and flying
While talking with Adam Spitler, he mentioned that he was a pilot and that he and Mark shared an interest of flying. Spitler said, "Mark and his wife, Ashley and my wife, Robin, and I had dinner on a plane and flew to Augusta. I would call him up and just say, 'hey Mark I'm going out for a local flight,' and he would say, 'I'll be out there.' He would drop what he was doing and ride along with me. We probably did those types of trips five or six times over the past two or three years. We also did a lot of activities together such as: riding motorcycles, flying planes, and going to lunch."
When asked what were some things that Spitler admired about him, he replied," Mark was a quiet person and a very deep thinker. He really loved the Bible. He loved theology. The application part of it, who was God and how does that apply to our day." He continued to express how Mark, "loved to talk about the stories in the bible and was a big fan of football." Spitler said, "Faith, Family and Football. These described Mark's core values."
There were two things Spitler wanted to say about Mark. First, "he really cared about people. Even people that he did not know, and their plan of salvation." He gave an example of when they were at lunch, "Mark would talk to servers in a compassionate way and share the plan of salvation to them. He would always take these opportunities to explain to them what the afterlife is." Second, "Mark was an intentional father and really poured into his children. He did a good job of keeping his priorities in line as a parent. His children were very important to him."
During Mark's funeral, First Baptist Church Statesboro's Pastor John Waters echoed those sentiments about his compassion.
"One of the first trips Mark took as our student pastor was to New York City on a mission trip. I went along as well," Water said. "Later that evening, we treated the teenagers to Juniors Cheesecake. While there we saw Mark sitting on the curb, holding the hand of a homeless woman. He was praying for her and seeing what food she might need."
The Keenes' friendship with the Galos
"We became friends because both of our children were home schooled. Our daughters are best friend."
John Keene
Mr. John Keene was the first person I spoke to about Mark. I asked him how they met. He replied, “We made it to the church around the same time. Mark has been the student pastor for 10 years." Mr. Keene went further to say, "We became friends because both our children were home schooled. Our daughters are best friends."
Keene’s favorite memory of Mark were his mannerisms. "He was larger than life. He was a 6’4" gentle giant. One of the coolest things about Mark was his calling to student ministry.”
Mr. Keene also said, "Mark felt strongly about investing in marriage. He and his wife were involved with WinShape marriage retreats." He shared with me that a month before his passing, they were making plans for the future. "Mark and I were discussing organizing a marriage retreat this Spring."
A life of faithfulness
Mark A. Galo was a man that lived his life to the fullest. His personality exuded happiness, faithfulness to God, and devotion to his family. As his friends here have shown, and as his obituary states, he was upright, faithful, and authentic.
He will now live on in the hearts of the many lives he impacted. His presence will surely be missed by all who knew him, especially by his wife, Ashley, and his children, Adeline and Spencer.
You may read Galo's obituary and view a recording of his funeral below.
Rev. Mark Andrew Galo
1970-2022
Rev. Mark Andrew Galo, 51, went to his eternal home on October 9th. Mark was born in Medina, Ohio on October 17, 1970, to the late Paul F. and Carol A. (Hinkel) Galo. He graduated from New London High School in 1989. At 16, Mark answered the Lord’s calling on his life. He determined, then, that his future career would involve student ministry, specifically teaching students to become disciples who would make disciples.
After high school, Mark briefly attended Bowling Green State University before transferring to Toccoa Falls College, in Georgia, where in 1995 he received a Bachelor of Science in Youth Ministry with a minor in church music. He went on to receive a Master of Divinity in Theological Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1997.
He married his college sweetheart, Ashley, in 1996, and they served the Lord together for over 26 years. During the early years, they served in Poughkeepsie, New York, where Mark was Associate Pastor of The Christian and Missionary Alliance Church of Poughkeepsie then later Minister to Students/Education at Hawhammock Baptist Church in Swainsboro. More recently, Mark has been the Minister of Students at First Baptist Church Statesboro. Mark encouraged his students to give back and accompanied them on mission trips that included Santo Domingo, Iron Man Lake Placid, Iron Man Panama City, New York City, Vancouver British Columbia, Henton, West Virginia, and Atlanta with Alpharetta City Church.
As Mark’s passion has always been students and their families, he and Ashley began attending Winshape Marriage Retreats 10 years ago and began sharing their experiences with other couples to help strengthen their marriages. They introduced over 20 couples to Winshape Marriage Retreats. He also served as Dean of Blue 2 IMPACT camp, Youth Ministry Network, Youth Leadership at CONCLAVE, GBC, leadership in Fields of Faith, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. And still, he found time to teach a Bible Studies Class at Bulloch Academy.
Those who knew him best, knew him as upright, faithful, and authentic. He was also the man who cheered Ohio State but worked with the Georgia Southern “Chain Crew” officiating games and as a “Red Hat” official. And all remember him for never turning down a scoop of ice cream!
Mark’s greatest love was the Lord, but his life was forever changed when he became a “Dad”. His family was everything to him. But his servant’s heart extended beyond his family, always humble and unwilling to receive recognition here on earth but knowing he would one day receive his reward. Mark will forever be loved and missed by all that loved him but especially by Ashley, and his children, Adeline Egan (16) and Spencer Ross (15).
Mark is preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Carol Galo and his father-in-law, David L. Spencer.
Survivors along with Ashley, Adeline and Spencer are his two sisters, Melissa Peters of Virginia and Rebecca (David) Cribbs of Indiana; two brothers, James (Kim) Galo of Tennessee and Timothy (Patty) Galo of Michigan; his mother-in-law, Beth Spencer Hudson (Drone) of Swainsboro, brother-in-law, Vincent Spencer (Laura) of Braselton, Georgia; and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Statesboro First Baptist Student Mission Trips and Impact Camp.
Click here to watch Mark's funeral service.
