George Jack Gallagher

I was born in San Diego in 1941 and was adopted a few days later by Jack and Mary Gallagher. I was raised in the San Diego area by Mary, along with my younger sisters Connie and Florence. I went to Sweetwater High School. After high school I went to San Diego State on a two-year program. I had such a good time with the fraternity I joined that I stayed until I graduated with a degree in 1965.

Not long after I graduated, I received my draft notice (this was the Vietnam era). The same day I went to the Navy office in San Diego and asked if I could serve in the Navy. A few weeks later I was off to the Navy’s Officer Training School in Rhode Island. I was stationed in Hawaii and in Subic Bay in the Philippines. In 1969 I developed Type I diabetes and received a medical discharge.

Back in the U.S. I worked in Sacramento in a Navy office for about a year. I applied for a Presidential Internship and was accepted. After moving to the Washington, D.C. area, I worked for the Navy on the Polaris-Poseidon program before transferring to the Pentagon to work for the Air Force as a budget analyst. I retired from the Pentagon in 1997 after a varied, interesting and enjoyable career.

In 1979 I met Vanda, my best friend, my lifelong love and my wife. We moved to Bozeman in 1997. Since moving here I’ve served in the Optimist Club, been state president for NARFE for two years, enjoyed playing poker every Tuesday afternoon with my group, and played lots and lots of golf at Cottonwood Hills Golf Course with the senior group.

In the spring of 2013 I met my birth mother, Barbara, then 91, along with the rest of the family. My sister, Connie, had become interested in genealogy and had traced my birth mother to Los Angeles. I found I also had another sister, Kathy, and brother, Kenny. Kathy arranged an afternoon get-together at her home in L.A., and we met Barbara and the rest of the family. We were very warmly received.

My diagnosis of stage 4 prostate cancer came in November 2014.

I’m sorry I have to leave. I was always early. Can I be late for this? I’ve been enjoying my retirement years so much and have had a good life. When I received my cancer diagnosis, I initially wondered if I should make any changes but decided I wouldn’t … I love my life and am very content with life as it is. I love you all.

I’ve delayed the inevitable now for over 3-½ years and they’ve been good years.

Thanks to my relatives for visiting me this summer. It was great to see you all: David (son), and Crystal (granddaughter) -- all from Melbourne, Australia; Connie and Florence (sisters) from San Diego; Kathy (sister) from L.A.; and Kenny (brother) from Victorville, CA; and sister-in-law Shirley. Zac my grandson and Heather my daughter-in-law was unable to come.



George died peacefully at home on August 7. He was active until just eleven days before his death.

A celebration of George’s life will be held at Dahl Funeral & Cremation Service Tribute Center on Thursday, September 6 at 1 p.m.