In an article appearing in The News-Gazette Champaign-Urbana shortly after Gallo's death in March 2019, Preston Jackson--a famed sculptor, artist, and musician and student of Gallo's at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (UICU) from 1969 to 1971--identified Gallo as both his mentor and longtime friend.  When first admitted to the UICU graduate program, Jackson felt overwhelmed by Gallo's work:  

"Every time he spoke, we grabbed every word and held onto it."  Jackson stated that all the students admired Gallo, viewing him as more than a teacher:  "an instructor of life, just by existing."  During those years of student protest and social unrest, Gallo advised Jackson to "concentrate and use your art as your weapon."

Jackson further characterized Gallo "back in the day" as a bit wild, a lover of automobiles, and a devotee of the life enjoyed by celebrities of the time:  "He was right up there with the big ones."

On the home front during the late 1960s and into the early 1980s, Gallo took every opportunity to enjoy the fruits of his success:  motorcycles, cars, swimming pool, and parties.  It could be said that Gallo was the embodiment of the notion that "nothing exceeds like excess."  

At their home in Urbana, IL, Mary and Frank Gallo hosted parties and events of all kinds, ranging from intimate dinners with colleagues from the art world to "epic" throw-downs with family, university colleagues and students, musicians, and celebrities of any or all note.  The Gallo family was firmly entrenched at the center of this eclectic universe.  

The September 7, 1976, issue of People Weekly provided readers with a glimpse into the more mundane aspects of Gallo's life.  In the article--To The Horror of His Cornbelt Neighbors, Frank Gallo is the King of Plastic Casters--Gallo is at turns amusing, disarming, and irreverent:  

"I think of myself as a truck farmer. . . . You take yourself to the big city and you sell it."  Suddenly a prairie breeze lifts the canvas tarp on the back of the truck, revealing Gallo's stuff:  five naked female bodies. . . .

Now 47 and a tenured professor at the University of Illinois, Gallo has finally taken his women off their pedestals and made them into pedestals. . . . Mary, 40, is Frank's favorite model.  ("She's got these great 16-year-old-boobs.") and he patterns younger types after his own hipless, flat-tummied daughter Polly, 12. . . .

But the home folks are increasingly reconciled to the Gallos.  Frank was nominated for the Champaign County Mental Health Board--by his own psychiatrist, as it happened--and served a one-year term."

Please see the photographs and ("Ozzie & Harriet-esque") home movies below for a view into the Gallo family experience during this period. 

By the early 2000s, requests for Gallo exhibitions as well as the market for new artwork were all but non-existent, beyond local gallery owners and associates in or near Urbana, IL.  In addition, Gallo's health began to decline due to the effects of alcoholism and depression.  Following the bankruptcy filings in 2002 and 2005, Gallo sold off the majority of his personal collection to cover mounting attorney fees; he also used his personal collection as collateral against his legal fees.  

To add further insult to injury, in 2011, Gallo sold his beloved home in Urbana, IL--the scene of countless family and social gatherings in better times--to a close friend; Gallo remained a resident in his former home until his death in March 2019.  He identified this friend as "one of very few people to take an active role in my health and well-being" [since 2001] and "the best friend I have."  

In a sad and poignant "To Whom It May Concern" letter dated October 12, 2018--just five months before his death--Gallo summarized the trajectory of his life since 2001, paralleling what is presented in the preceding paragraph.  

"The intent of this letter is an attestation of my, Frank Gallo's, personal and financial health situations from 2001 forward.  This letter outlines the multiple financial situations that have presented themselves as well as the outcome of those occurrences." 

In the letter, he mentions his friend but makes no mention of any immediate family member.

At 8:47 p.m. on March 22, 2019, Champaign (IL) County Deputies responded to a residence in Urbana Township "in reference to an elderly man (Frank Gallo) who was found on his bedroom floor, lying in a pool of blood."  The daughter of the property owner, who lived on the same property with Gallo, albeit in a separate residence, had entered Gallo's residence for a wellness check.  She found Gallo's bloody body and saw a firearm near it; he was unresponsive and did not have a visible heartbeat.  Per the police report: 

[     ]  stated that Frank has struggled with alcohol use for nearly his whole life.  [     ]  stated that approximately two weeks ago, one of Frank's best friends passed away.   [     ]  stated Frank began to drink vodka heavily following the death of his friend.  Over the last 24 hours [     ]  stated that he has observed driving from the residence while intoxicated or consuming alcohol.  

Police subsequently checked security video from her phone from 9:35 a.m. that same morning; it showed her preventing Gallo from driving away from his residence.  Gallo stumbled as he exited his vehicle.  Video captured their conversation:

     [     ] :  "Have you been drinking?  What are you doing?"

Gallo:  "Yes, I have been.  I called the suicide hotline last night."

 [     ] :  "Why did you do that [call]?"

Gallo:  "I want to die."

Frank Gallo passed away on March 22, 2019; Renner-Wikoff Chapel & Crematory in Urbana, IL , handled the arrangements for the body.  No funeral or memorial service was ever held; his cremains are in Stephanie's and Joe's living room, together with family photographs and original artwork by Frank.  The opening lines of the obituary announcement stated:

Frank Gallo of Urbana, IL passed away unexpectedly on March 22, 2019 at his home. He was born in Toledo, OH, on January 13, 1933, to Joseph and Pauline. They preceded him in death, along with his brothers, Sam and Bill, and a sister Betty.

He is survived by his treasured children Joseph (Stephanie) Gallo of Urbana; Polly Gallo of Champaign; grandchildren Dillon, Ian, Mason, and Mia Gallo; and his first wife Mary Gallo.

During his later years Gallo socialized with Joseph, Stephanie, and their children at their home in Urbana, IL, just miles from the former Gallo home.  He would also attend art openings and gallery shows in the Urbana-Champaign area.   Most notably, both Mary and Frank attended several of the family events, thus completing a relationship arc that started over 60 years earlier. 

Joseph shared the following thoughts about his father in an article appearing in the The News-Gazette Champaign-Urbana on March 30, 2019:

"He was so loved by so many people.  He was an incredibly positive influence on a huge list of students who have all proven to be masters in their own right."  When he was growing up, Joe Gallo said, his father took him everywhere and included him in significant parts of his life--from bringing him abroad to the prestigious Venice Biennale exhibition to taking him along to the hardware store and out late at night to the Steak 'n Shake on Green Street for chili.  As an adult, he worked with this father for more than 25 years--sharing in moments of discovery with him--an experience he said was much like being "a kid in a candy store."

On April 15, 2019, Scott Bennett, State Senator, 52nd District of Illinois, sponsored a Senate resolution commemorating the passing of Frank Gallo.  In the cover letter transmitting the resolution to Joseph, Bennett wrote:

"From his extensive accomplishments as a sculptor to his dedication in the area of illustration, Frank Gallo left his mark on the world.  His generosity, craftmanship, and outstanding work deserve to be remembered.  We are fortunate to have called him a member of our community, and offer our sincerest condolences."

At the time of his death, Gallo didn't own a home and had no personal property assets save a 2003 Toyota Camry, that his son, Joseph, removed from the residence on April 9, 2019.  The rental agreement for the residence was terminated on March 22, 2019; Joseph and his wife, Stephanie, removed all personal belongings from the residence by June 22, 2019.   Joseph and his sister, Pauline, split Gallo's life insurance policy worth $25,000.  Joseph spent the majority of his share on the transfer of former Editions in Cast Paper paper production equipment to his home.  

Following Gallo's death,  Joseph and Stephanie transferred years of Gallo's artwork, sculptures, records, memorabilia, ephemera, etc. to their home in Urbana, IL, for safekeeping.  It would take five years--until August 2024--before Joe, Stephanie, and family began a concerted effort to inspect and inventory these items, all with an eye toward memorializing the legacy of Frank Gallo.  

The creation of the Frank Gallo Legacy LLC in September 2024--concurrent with the establishment of the Frank Gallo Archives--as well as this website are a FRANK GALLO-lian step in that direction!  The ultimate goal is to have Frank Gallo's fully processed archival collection transferred/accessioned to an archival institution or museum for future access and use.