James Gallagher

Gallagher, James M. ALBANY James M. Gallagher, 79, died Monday, July 14, 2008 at Albany Medical Center Hospital with his beloved family present. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1929, he was the son of the late Michael and Isabella Gildea Gallagher. He was raised in Brooklyn, graduated from St. Mary's Star of the Sea and Brooklyn Technical High School. After serving in the United States Army Signal Corps as a staff sergeant during the Korean War, he attended and graduated from St. Francis College. He later served in the New York State Guard as a major. He moved to Albany in 1954 and began his long career in state service with the Civil Service Department, acting as a personnel administrator and consultant to local governments. He later moved to the Public Service Commission and finished his career with NYS at the Office of General Services as director of real property planning and utilization. In that role, he had overall responsibility for leasing all state office space and planning the office layout for that space. While at OGS, he conducted special management projects for other agencies as well. Two of the projects he was most happy with were moving large numbers of state workers into the newly built World Trade Center, and then, fortuitously, in his last project before retiring, moving all state offices out of the towers some years before the 9/11 tragedy. Jim had a long history of involvement in Albany civic and charitable circles. He was one of the founding members, and eventual chairman, of the Albany Independent Movement (AIM) in the 1960s. He ran for the first elected school board in Albany, and was the only independent candidate to win a seat in that contest. He was awarded a lifetime honorary membership in the PTA for his efforts and contributions with that organization. He was president of the New Scotland-Whitehall Neighborhood Association and the Neighborhood Resource Center. He served as a consultant to the Albany Water Board and as vice chairman of the Albany Parking Authority. Jim was acting secretary of the Regulating District's Great Sacandaga Lake Advisory Committee and co-chairman of the Property Owner's Association of the town of Day. He was a volunteer consultant for ESCOT for over 15 years, serving on the board of directors. He was also active in the Retired Public Employees Association, the State Academy for Public Administration, and the organization of NYS Management Confidential Employees Association (OMCE). Jim was recently elected president of the board of trustees of the Albany Public Library. He was a communicant of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and St. Catherine of Siena. He was a lector and Eucharistic minister. Jim was a voracious reader and loved drafting and designing construction projects. He loved spending time with his family at their camp on Sacandaga. He always appreciated people for their strengths and had a wonderful sense of humor and a keen perspective on what was important and what to let go. Jim is survived by his wife of 48 years, Eileen Purtell Gallagher; his son, James Gallagher (Patricia) and his daughter, Ellen Gallagher (Brendan Keegan); his sisters, Nora Donlon (John), Mary Shea, and Margaret Byrnes (Donald). He also leaves behind numerous beloved nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank Dr. Caramore, Dr. White, Dr. Shaffer, the Albany Police and Fire Departments, Father Bob and the emergency room and D4 staff at Albany Medical Center for their care. Funeral services Friday at 10:00 a.m. from the McVeigh Funeral Home, 208 North Allen Street, Albany thence to St. Catherine of Siena Church, Albany at 10:30 a.m. where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Relatives and friends are invited and may call Thursday 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the funeral home. Interment will follow the Mass in St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands. Those wishing to remember James M. Gallagher in a special way may send a contribution to the Cathedral Food Pantry, 62 Swan St., Albany, NY 12210 or the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless, 176 Sheridan Ave., Albany, NY 12210 or the Homeless Action Committee, 393 North Pearl St., Albany, NY 12207.