Dedicated Bus Operator Erlin "Flintstone" Galarza Dies at 66

The Gun Hill Depot is mourning the loss of Bus Operator Erlin “Flintstone” Galarza to the corona virus.

Hired in 2004, Galarza was a dedicated professional who very rarely took time off except for vacation. An affable man, Galarza, 66, was good-naturedly called “Flintstone” by co-workers because of his resemblance to cartoon character Barney Rubble in "the Flintstones." “Everybody loved him,” depot Chair Angel Montalvo said. “This is a big loss for all of us.”

Galarza, who immigrated to the United States from Ecuador, was very religious. He was devoted father and husband. Married to his wife for 42 years, Galarza arranged his work schedule so he could take his son, now a teenager, to school, Montalvo said. He planned to work until the age of 67, just months away, when he passed.