is mourning a longtime friend who recently died from cancer.
Hall, 43, shared via Instagram on Tuesday, August 6, that , a friend Hall made while working for 16 years as a police officer in Los Angeles, lost his battle with an “evil cancer.”
“Today the best human I’ve ever known had his ticket punched by the evil cancer,” Hall, who is currently divorcing his estranged wife, , captioned a series of photos. “Being the badass he’s been his whole life, he wasn’t going out without a fight.”
The HGTV star included several snaps of himself with Galvez, as well as photos of the pair with fellow law enforcement officials they met while working within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“He and I connected as two young deputies,” Hall wrote. “Only a few years older than me, already full of such confidence and poise, I knew this was a guy I wanted as my friend for life. He introduced me to a group of guys that I would end up forming lifelong bonds with. Collectively we all experienced more life and experiences in 23 years that most couldn’t imagine in a lifetime.”
Hall revealed that he and his friends had taken shifts to be by Galvez’s bedside “over the last couple weeks,” with one friend never leaving the man’s side. Hall reflected on how Galvez was able to, at times, muster the strength to lift his head and “share a laugh” with the tight-knit group.
“The boys all came together from all over to be there for your final breaths,” Hall wrote. “We aren’t going anywhere. Your final words to me, “I love you Josh, it’s going to be ok.” I love you Gonzalo Galvez.”
The heartbreaking news follows a tumultuous month for Hall, who is starting a new chapter amid his ongoing divorce. A source familiar with the matter exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, August 5, that he has moved out of the pair’s property.
“Josh is sad that the marriage ended this way, but he’s excited to move forward,” the source told Us. “He voluntarily moved his belongings from his and Christina’s jointly owned property” in Newport Beach, California, according to the source.
Hall recently addressed the situation via social media, sharing an Instagram post on Friday, August 2.
“I prefer privacy, especially during something as life-changing as a divorce I did not ask for,” Hall captioned a melancholy-looking selfie with his dog. “I will not publicly badmouth anyone as people have families, friends and others who respect and love them. Unfortunately, the internet is forever.”
The pair filed for divorce last month with the Christina on the Coast star filing her petition first and listing the date of their separation as July 7. Hall wrote July 8 on his own court documents.
“We are real humans, this is our life and I am not here to entertain people I don’t know with my private matters,” Josh added in the post. “Those details will be handled fairly behind closed doors with our respective counsels in due time. Those who know each of us, know who we are.”
