N/AJoseph "Joe" Emanuel Galano, 88, of Silver Spring, MD, passed away at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home on April 26, 2012. He was the son of the late Emanuel and Jeanne (Maresca) Galano.

Joe was born in New York on October 11, 1923. He had one brother. While Joe was living with his parents, he attended Fordham University, until drafted into the Army, where he served in France, Germany and Belgium in the rank of sergeant. At war's end, he resumed college, graduating with a B.A.

Joe has had an extensive and varied career in social work with Catholic service agencies. He was a caseworker in foster care, returning to Fordham for an M.A. in social work. He learned to speak Creole, Spanish and Portuguese while serving in Haiti, Guatemala, the Bahamas and Trinidad. While serving in an emergency in Nigeria during a revolution, he lived on an island off the African coast, from where five planes a day were sent to Biafra, a province, in order to drop supplies of clothing and medicines.

His overseas career ended in Brazil. From there, he returned home to the agency in an administrative position and resumed living with his parents. At their deaths, he joined his brother in Florida. When his brother moved to Leisure World, he found Joe a place here.

Additional hobbies and interests Joe had were music, philately, languages, travel, and work in foreign countries in aid programs.

Joe is survived by his brother, Anthony Galano and wife, Catherine; his nephew, Michael Galano; and his niece Christina Slack.

All arrangements are being handled by Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home, P.A., 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. Interment with Committal Service will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.

To leave online condolences, please visit the website at: www.brinsfieldecholsfuneral.com.

In Lieu of Flowers, Contributions may be made to: Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, 29449 Charlotte Hall Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622.