Obituary

John Thomas Gallagher

Jack passed away after a very short illness on February 13, 2024. Jack was born on August 30, 1932 in Rockford, Illinois to James and Erma Gallagher. He was one of four children: Janet, James, and Mike.

Jack attended the University of Notre Dame prior to joining the Marine Corps in 1955. He joined the Corps to pursue his love of flying becoming a fighter pilot and an instructor. In 1966, Jack served a tour of duty in Vietnam. Jack was a proud Marine and loved to tell stories of taking off from and landing on aircraft carriers. Semper Fidelis.

He was a fanatical Notre Dame football fan who never missed a game whether televised or in person. Go Irish. Jack also enjoyed a lifelong passion for sports cars. He could be seen flying around Laguna Niguel at low mach in his Mini Cooper. Jack was always sharply dressed and could frequently be seen wearing his favorite Notre Dame cap.

Jack was proud of his Irish heritage and visited Ireland many times over the years, even once on St. Patrick’s Day, which is also the day of his wedding anniversary.

Jack is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary, daughters Elizabeth Conley (Christopher) and Sarah Duffy (Joseph), and brother Mike (Karen) Gallagher who resides in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois as well as five grandchildren: Ryan, Megan, Connor, Sean, and Michael. Jack is predeceased by his son Timothy Gallagher (Shari), sister Janet (Dick), and brother James (Sally).

A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 am Tuesday, March 12th at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church 29102 Crown Valley Pkwy, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677, reception to follow.