Dolores Marie Galen, age 74 of Black Rock, passed away on Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Hartford Hospital.

Born in Bridgeport on November 26, 1950, to the late Theodore and Dolores Celia (Howanitz) Galen, she has been a lifelong Black Rock resident and a lifelong parishioner at St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church. As an academic, Dolores graduated from Norwalk State Technical College with her associate's degree in computers and went on to receive her BS in Mathematics from Fairfield University in 1973.  Dolores spent her career in IT, working as a Senior Systems Programmer Analyst for Marine Management Systems in Stamford, and later for Survey Sampling International in Shelton.  Her dedication to her co-workers and clients led to many lifelong friendships both in and out of work.  Although her career was in IT, her true passion was horses.  By age 2 she was 'riding' true sawhorses that her father lovingly crafted for her and wearing her beloved cowgirl outfit whenever she could.  Upon graduation from Fairfield University, she spent her first 5 post graduate years working on horse farms in both upstate NY and MA. where she had the opportunity to care for horses and begin training in and showing as an English Hunter Jumper. It was at her very first farm that she became the proud owner of "Just Rewards" a red dun American Quarter Horse nicknamed "Casey" with whom she competed and had many top placings in countless shows around the Northeast.  As she progressed, she furthered her equine skills and began participating and placing in many Eventing competitions as well.  Later in life she had the opportunity to own a farm in Sprakers, NY named Cork Tree Farms, and owned Galen Enterprises an LLC specializing in the breeding and selling of Iberian and Lipizzaner horse breeds.

She is preceded in death by her father Theodore Galen, mother Dolores Celia Galen, and older brother Theodore John Galen.  She is survived by her younger sisters, Cynthia Campbell and her husband Andrew of PA and Juliann Eberheim and her husband Richard of VA, a nephew Richard Theodore Eberheim a niece, Julia Noelle Eberheim, Weltcom a bay Hanoverian and CTF Last Tango her homebred grey Thoroughbred Andalusian Cross.

Dolores was an avid philanthropist, donating to many charities throughout her life. Therefore, in lieu of flowers the family requests that those desiring may donate in Dolores' honor to the Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center in Bristol, CT  https://www.shepardmeadows.org/ or to a therapeutic horse center or horse rescue organization near them.

At Dolores' request there will be no wake or funeral services.  A Celebration of Life will be held in the fall.  Please visit https://sites.google.com/view/celebrate-dolores-galen to contact the family directly and/or to get further information on attending the celebration of Dolores' life.