John Francis "Jack" Gallagher

Winter Park - John "Jack" Francis Gallagher, husband, father, Pop Pop, brother, runner, punster, dancer, and accomplished traveler died September 30, 2021 after an illness, surrounded by his family. He was 87 years old. He leaves the love of his life Mary, to whom he was married 61 years; his son John Francis Gallagher, Jr (Colleen); daughter Mikella (John "Jack" Grygiel); son Matthew; grandchildren Kelsey, LJ, Keelyn, Sophie & Charlie; and sister Kathleen Gavigan (Dennis). His family and friends meant everything to Jack.

Passionate about running, he ran some 36,000 miles from age 50 until he went to heaven, including 20 half and 11 full marathons, ending with the Dublin marathon in 2017. At age 83, he not only completed the marathon 32 seconds under his personal goal but also won his age category. He was tickled when the city of Winter Park declared March 24, 2018 "Jack Gallagher Day" to recognize his contributions to running and the community.

Born and raised in Scranton, PA, Jack put himself through the University of Scranton. During his 46-year career, he was a financial executive in a number of companies including E.R. Squibb & Sons and Black & Decker. His career took him around the world – he lived with his family in Beirut, Lebanon and he visited more than 55 countries. He co-founded a software company in Baltimore, MD before moving to Winter Park in 1987 to serve as chief financial officer of Philip Crosby Associates (PCA) and then Alexander Proudfoot PLC, which acquired PCA.

Jack was an active member of the community, particularly at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church where he was a eucharistic minister. He helped with the church's homeless feeding program, participated in men's bible study, served as volunteer on the Board of Directors of the Coalition for the Homeless and served as interim CFO of the Catholic Foundation of Central Florida. He also was on the boards of the Track Shack Foundation and the Community Foundation of Central Florida and served on the Commission of the Diocese of Orlando's Catholic Charities. His concern for others led him to organize countless food and blanket drives.

Above all, Jack used his positive outlook to encourage others to be their best. His family will miss him but is happy he has won the ultimate race.

A celebration of life will be held at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, Winter Park on Friday, November 5, 2021, 10 am visitation and 11 am Funeral Mass. Guests are encouraged to wear any shade of blue, his favorite color. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St Margaret Mary or Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. DeGusipe Funeral Home, Maitland, FL in charge of arrangements, www.degusipe.com