Obituary of John J. Gallagher Jr.

John J. Gallagher, age 75, of Glen Mills, PA, passed away peacefully at his home on April 26, 2024 surrounded by his loving family. He was kind, selfless, generous, and a dedicated family man. John definitely left his mark on this world, positively impacting anyone who had the pleasure of meeting him. He exemplifies the terms community and compassion for all humanity. Whether he knew you or not he was the first to offer up a helping hand. Many in his life looked up to him as a role model and mentor. Even while battling IPF, he was most concerned for those around him and kept a positive attitude throughout.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, John has resided in Glen Mills for the past 2 years. He previously resided in Drexel Hill for 28 years where he was an active member of St. Andrew's Parish serving as Collection Counter. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University, where he met and fell in love with Nancy, his wife of 55 years. That began a lifelong passion for all things Penn State. He was involved with and served as President of the Delaware County (Brandywine) chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association and was a Football Season Ticket holder and attended games regularly, tailgating with family and friends in his RV. John was an entrepreneur from a very young age and had many business ventures including a beach grill, Christmas tree lots, and a fruit/produce store in Reading Terminal Market. Out of all of his businesses, he was most proud of founding Common Sense Technologies with his partner Nancy, which has been providing technology consulting for 35 years and is now a multi-generational company. For 25 years, John volunteered for the "Families Behind the Badge Children's Foundation" and served on the Board. He was a member of the Father Judge Alumni Association and involved with their annual golf outing. He was also an avid Phillies and Eagles fan. In addition, John enjoyed gardening and, most of all, loved spending time with his family, especially when it came to watching his grandchildren's sports and activities. He also loved coaching his daughters' and grandson's youth sports teams.

He is preceded in death by his parents John J. Gallagher, Sr. and Rose Mullen Gallagher, and by his brother, Timothy Gallagher. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Nancy Gallagher, children, Michelle Doerr (George), Danielle Gallagher, and Janel Reilly (Jed), siblings, Rosemary Pagliaro, Margaret Traylor, Patrick Gallagher (Donna), and Michael Gallagher (Mary), 5 grandchildren, Cameron, Morgan, Alayna, Noah, and Kenzie, many nieces and nephews, and the Bailey Family. A visitation will be held on Friday, May 3rd from 9:30am -11:15am at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 430 Valleybrook Rd, Glen Mills, PA followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30am . Interment will remain private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Association at www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.paganofuneralhome.com.