Husband remembers wife of 33 years who drowned

WAXHAW, N.C. — A local school administrator drowned at the beach. A judge saw her, tried to save her and drowned, too.

Maryanne Galway, 56, lived in Waxhaw. She worked at Orchard Park Elementary in Fort Mill.

Her husband of 33 years, Ed Galway, said she loved children, especially their 14-month-old grandson.

"Maryanne was just a generous, good-hearted person who wasn't mean to anybody in the world," he said.

He said they used to travel a lot to big parks out west, but, this time, to vacation with their daughters and grandson more easily, they decided to stay in state. They picked Sunset Beach, thinking it would be the first of similar trips.

He said they were only up to their knees in water when a rip current started pulling her under. He fought to save her and even gave her mouth-to-mouth there in the surf.

"Waves crashing on her, then lose her, I grab her back, and try again," he said.

Then he called for help to a man not far away.

He doesn't remember the rest.

The man was Chief District Court Judge Mitchell McLean, 54, a familiar face in Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes and Yadkin counties. He drowned trying to help.

"I can't say enough. God bless him. I mean he didn't know us from Adam and he just tried to help, I feel bad for his family as well. Just not right," Galway said.

Galway says his wife was a devout Catholic. There's a memorial service for her soon. He plans to hold the funeral in New Jersey, where they're from.

WSOC