Born on April 18, 1936, near Mangum, Oklahoma, Galen Chastain M.S. ’69 was the son of George and Nancy Chastain. He has been a resident of Merced since 1952, where he graduated from high school in 1954. He earned a B.A. from UC Berkeley and an M.S. from SCU. After a two-year commission in the Army, he began his career in education as a mathematics teacher and school administrator. He retired from full-time service in 1995 and continued to provide interim administrative duties in various Merced County school districts. Service to the community was also one of his priorities, especially through the Rotary Clubs of Merced, where he had longtime memberships. Galen passed away peacefully at home on Dec. 5, 2018. He is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Karen L. Chastain, sons Craig (Teresa), Scott, and Keith (Jill Settera). He has six grandchildren: Sarah, Joshua, Jacob, Naomi, Kyle, and Lindsey, and also four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Denny Chastain, and his sister, Norma White.