Deceased November 7, 2018
View alumni profile (log in required)
Read obituary
In Memory
With great heartache, I learned that my former roommate and once close personal friend, Armando Galindo Jr. died unexpectedly in Falls Church, Va., on Nov. 7.
The first sentence of his obituary states that he was an Amherst graduate. Such was the pride and meaning that he communicated to those closest to him for having had the privilege of attending our school.
While I was at Amherst, Armando was a vital person in my life. He was there for me in my darkest hours, and I am in his debt for helping me soldier on through the education that still guides my life.
I watched Armando sprout from a fidgety, skinny kid with Coke-bottle glasses into a commanding male presence. He had style, class and guts. With no experience to speak of, he walked onto the Amherst football team and held his own.
At the drop of a hat, he was a suave gentleman ace. His Bronx-bred common sense and wit were breathtaking and hilarious.
His interest in my life was at times comforting, at times aggravating, but always sincere and well-meaning.
After graduation, we met up in Italy with Eurail passes. Still hearing the echo of his unflinching straight talk and thunderous pronouncements about everything, I remember with fondness, irritation, interest, agony and amusement our time together.
We attended each other’s weddings. And as married friends sometimes do, we drifted apart. Or I pushed him away with something I said or did. So, for many years, I could not talk to, or find out about, Armando until a mutual friend called me with the terrible news.
Though there may be a few other souls who engage life with such forthright candor and gusto, I’ve never met one like Armando, and I am so very fortunate that I did.
David R. Martinez ’84