William P. Galle Jr., 79, of Slidell, Louisiana, passed away on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Jackson, Mississippi.

Bill was born on Thursday, November 19, 1942, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to William P. Galle Sr. and Lillian Welch Galle. Mr. Galle was a graduate of University of New Orleans (UNO), and obtained a Doctorate Degree from the University of Arkansas.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 30 years, Julia Ann Williams Galle and his brother Joseph Galle.

Bill is survived by two children, Julie Galle Baggenstoss (Rick), W. Preston Galle III (Houri Johari-Galle); four grandchildren, Jack Baggenstoss, William Baggenstoss, Audrey Galle, Melody Galle; brothers, Jack Galle, Donald Galle, Ron Galle; nieces,nephews, and other relatives.

"Billy" as his brothers know him, grew up in Gentilly, on a street packed with family. As a teenager, he worked alongside his father delivering newspapers for the Times Picayune, and he eventually ran his own delivery route. He graduated from John McDonough High School. When not studying or working, he and his friends enjoyed singing in the chorus for the New Orleans Opera, and they spent countless afternoons on Lake Pontchartrain, running their boats along the Interstate 10 Twin Spans.

As a graduate student, Bill and his young wife Julia Ann left New Orleans in the 1960s to seek education in a place that was far from friends and family. As he earned a Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas, Bill pioneered research his field of business communication and psycholinguistics. The thirst for education and adventure took the young couple even farther from home, with work assignments in Europe and the Middle-East.

After teaching in Turkey, Spain, and at East Tennessee State University for several years, Bill returned to his alma mater in 1985 as a professor and as Chairman of the Department of Mangement of the College of Business at UNO, where he worked for over three decades. He also reconnected with family and friends in metro New Orleans.

In the nearly 40 years that he called Slidell home, Bill took part in leadership and growth in his community. He was a member of the Slidell Civil Service Board for over a decade, and he is the  co-founder and facilitator of the New Orleans-based Exceptional Entrepreneurs of Louisiana (ExcEL), an internationally-recognized training program teaching people with disabilities how to start their own businesses.

While he was passionate about his work, Mr. Galle loved most of all spending time with his family, including traveling with his wife, children, and grandchildren. He explored major cities and small corners the U.S.A., on foot and by car. His journeys at home and around the world reflect his kind and generous nature that is rooted in a positive outlook, even when plans unexpectedly take a turn down an unknown path.

Bill was always a problem-solver with steady patience. He survived Hurricane Betsy in a pirogue in the flooded streets of Gentilly. He later camped out for weeks after watching the eye of Hurricane Katrina pass over his home in Slidell. His resilience, which extended far beyond the arena of catastrophic storms, is a never-ending source of inspiration to those around him. That inspiration a reflection of his intentional thoughtfulness for loved ones.

Funeral Services will be held at First United Methodist Church, Slidell, 433 Erlanger St., Slidell, LA, 70458 on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.  Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be in Garden of Memories Cemetery in Metairie, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

Easter Seals, https://www.easterseals.com/ and the National Museum of the Native American Indian, https://americanindian.si.edu/ .