Jose L. Gallardo

José Luis Gallardo (III) was born on February 23rd, 1979 to José and Shirley Gallardo in St. Paul, MN. He passed away on Saturday, June 13th, 2020 at the age of 41.

It became apparent early in life, that José was destined to excel in everything he did. While attending JJ Hill and Capitol Hill elementary schools in St. Paul, he was enrolled in the Gifted & Talented Program. Outside of school, he was an altar server and lector at Maternity of Mary Church in St. Paul and participated in Boy Scouts. He was also very proud of the citywide Air Hockey tournament that he won in 1988. At St. Paul Central High School, he was nominated into the Honors Program, participated in wrestling and baseball all while working diligently at a local grocery store.

In college, he continued his legacy of excellence. He chose to attend the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and was then awarded a full ride, Presidential Scholarship; a scholarship so competitive that only a select few are awarded. His college career was well rounded; he not only received his B.S. in Chemistry but also engaged in everything from ballroom dancing, fencing, competing in various intramural sports, campus activities, and worked in a campus lab. José also became fluent in Spanish. Following his time at the University of Minnesota, he obtained a M.S. in Pharmacology from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA in 2007.

Upon graduation, he went on to work at the University of Minnesota, researching pediatric brain tumors and various cancers, as well as facilitating philanthropic funding for these areas of research. After his time at the U of MN, he was an engineer at Boston Scientific and NACS. José was then recruited to work at Target Corporate, where he was recently promoted to Lead FESQA Engineer. In recognition of his contributions to the new Everspring cleaning products line, Target awarded him with the prestigious Target Presidential Award. He also was active as the Lead of the Target Hispanic Business Council, helping to promote the Hispanic Culture and their products sold at Target.

José had robust relish for life, and for people. He was a loving older brother to his three siblings, who will never forget his rough housing, and beating them soundly at video games. As a family, they were able to make lasting memories on camping trips to various sites in Minnesota and to Washington State and back.

From playing soccer and softball himself, to being the biggest hometown Gophers, Twins, Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves, and Minnesota United fan around, he was a true sports enthusiast. José thoroughly enjoyed any activity that took him out on the water or outside; he enjoyed taking his bicycle instead of a car whenever possible, riding trips of up to 70 miles along local trails.

Regardless of the outcome of the game or how fast he rode, no recreation was truly fun for José if he wasn’t enjoying it with family and friends. Whether it was cooking up a spectacular meal, board games, karaoke night, or a round of poker, he wanted to be surrounded by those he loved. Simply put, José’s energy was magnetic and uplifting, and he made friends easily and everywhere. People mattered to him. He would always make it a point to say hello to Sue, the organ player for the Minnesota Twins, every home game he attended. Generous to a fault, he couldn’t carry cash in his wallet because he’d inevitably give it to someone less fortunate on the street, and frequently paid for the refreshments of the people behind him at sporting events. José was gregarious and full of humor, ready to bring the fun and throw himself into it full bore.

Another passion of José’s was his affinity for travel. He and his friend Andrew spent time with José’s family in Spain and then explored Europe for three weeks following their college graduation. He attended his friend Brian’s wedding in South Korea. In early 2019, José met his forever travel companion and partner, Trisha. Together, they were able to immerse themselves in the Chinese culture for three weeks in October of 2019 on a Target business trip. They also enjoyed their time visiting friends and family throughout the Midwest. In March, José was able to build his very own lightsaber visiting Star Wars Land at Disney in Orlando, FL.​

José is survived by parents José and Shirley Gallardo, siblings Carlos (Jessica), Maria (Ian), Laura (Nick), nephews Soren, Arvid, and nephew Gallardo due on July 7th, and his domestic partner, Trisha Pederson, in addition to aunts, uncles, and cousins. It has been said that what you will remember the most about someone is not what they said, or what they did, but how they made you feel. José made you feel welcomed, heard, and appreciated. He was warm and open, and he was infinitely generous with his comradery and companionship. José did not leave you in doubt of his love, or that he cared about how you felt.​

The true measure of a person’s life and the love they gave is by how much they will be missed. José will be missed more than any words can describe. 

VISITATION Wednesday, June 24th Mueller-Bies Funeral Home 2130 Dale Street North, Roseville, MN 55113.

*The visitation will be from 1-6pm, with the 1-2pm time reserved for the family, elderly, and at-risk individuals. Due to COVID restrictions, there is a limit of 120 people in the funeral home at a time. Masks are preferred, but not required. Please respect social distancing throughout the visitation.

​FUNERAL Thursday, June 25th, 10 am Maternity of Mary Catholic Church 1414 Dale Street North, St. Paul, MN 55117

*The service will begin at 10 am, with the church opening at 9:45am. Due to COVID restrictions, you will be asked to proceed immediately to your seats, sitting an appropriate social distance from other groups. Following the service, we will immediately exit the church and proceed to the cemetery. Masks are preferred but not required.

​INTERMENT Thursday, June 25th, immediately following the service Resurrection Cemetery 2101 Lexington Avenue South, Mendota Heights, MN 55120

*Due to COVID restrictions, there won’t be a luncheon following the interment. Masks are preferred, but not required. Please respect social distancing at the cemetery.

​Memorials are preferred to flowers and can be made out to José or Shirley Gallardo, who will donate them to his favorite charity. The Gallardo’s address is 1058 Dale St. N., St. Paul, MN 55117.​

The funeral home would like any floral deliveries to be made by 12pm on Wednesday, June 24th.