Gene Leslie GALLAGHER

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Golden Gate University Montana State University

Gene GALLAGHER Obituary

GALLAGHER, Gene Leslie
Of Sacramento passed away on February 14, 2010 at the age of 69 after battling Parkinson's Disease. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Sandra; daughters Leslie Whitesel (Dave) and Laurie Towne (Bill) of Sacramento; son Robert of Fair Oaks; brothers Don of Salem, OR, Jack of Madras, OR, Dick of Bellevue, WA and David of Modesto, CA; grandchildren Joshua Whitesel, Kyle and Kayla Towne; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family.
Gene was born June 8, 1940 in Williston, ND to Lloyd and Elizabeth Gallagher. He grew up in small towns along the Great Northern Railroad in rural Montana and later attended Northern Montana College in Havre and Montana State University in Bozeman, from which he received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mathematics. After working in southern California for 10 years, he moved to Sacramento where he would work for the State's Employment Development Dept. as a Mathematician (Operations Research Analyst) for 30 years. He also moonlighted as a professor of statistics for Golden Gate University for 15 years.
Among Gene's favorite pastimes were reading, travelling with his family and songwriting. Always a fan of country music, Gene wrote dozens of country songs in the 80s and 90s, of which a few were published. He also wrote songs for some family reunions. Gene was a sports fan--especially baseball (LA Dodgers) and basketball (he was a season ticket holder for 20 of the 25 seasons the Sacramento Kings have played here). Gene was a big supporter of his children's academic pursuits and extracurricular activities--he attended nearly every recital, concert and game, and was very proud that each had earned a bachelor's degree. He also coached his son's soccer team in Rancho Cordova for 10 years.
After the Parkinson's diagnosis in 2005, he began to slow down a bit. He still enjoyed following the Sacramento Kings, microbrew beer, spending time with his grandchildren, listening to books on CD (especially John Grisham) and watching movie musicals.
The family requests that any donations be sent to the Parkinson Association of Northern California, 900 Fulton Ave., Suite 100-5, Sacramento, CA, phone 866-979-7262.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Sacramento Bee from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for Gene GALLAGHER

7 Entries

Jennifer Osborne

April 20, 2010

Thoughts and prayers to your family.I remember spending many summer nights at the Gallagher home...Good memories.

March 6, 2010

My deepest sympathy to Gene's family.

Jean Wu

March 6, 2010

To Gene's family:

My condolences on your loss. I was sad to learn just last week of Gene's passing, and spent many moments remembering our work together at EDD. Gene was a valued colleague, counselor, and resource. You probably know that during the Jerry Brown administration he was instrumental in developing methodologies that gained national recognition. He loved sharing his knowledge with those of us who were less skilled in his areas of expertise; Gene created an atmosphere in which everyone felt comfortable asking even the most elementary questions. We knew how he treasured you by the pride he took in telling us of your accomplishments. And Gene's emphasis on family was further evident in the interest he took in colleagues' non-EDD lives. He leaves a legacy of knowledge and professional excellence--and he will be missed.

Sandy Bryant

March 6, 2010

To Gene's family and friends,

Although I hadn't had any contact with Gene for several years, I would often think of him when driving by the EDD building downtown. He had the most awesome office with a view of the Capitol. I truly enjoyed going to see him and not just for the view. I would take him knotty problems that totally befuddled me. He always had a "horse sense" solution. He was wise and practical and spoke "english" not "statistician". I am saddened that he is gone. He was a friend.

Donna Short

February 27, 2010

Our condolences to your Family. Your neighbors on Elmira Circle, The Shorts.

Linda Brown

February 26, 2010

To Gene's beloved family,
I'm so sorry to hear of Gene's passing. We worked together at EDD for several years up until he retired. I still have my workbook from the Excel statistical class he taught and referred to it regularly after he retired and before I retired. He patiently taught me everything I needed to know so we could continue to produce statistical reports after he left. He was absolutely thrilled to become a grandfather and eagerly shared photos and stories. I saw him a couple of times walking in our neighborhood park and he had the same patient, friendly manner he always displayed at work. I know he'll be greatly missed and you all are in my thoughts and prayers.

Nancy Servis

February 26, 2010

To the Gallagher family,

I was saddened to read about Gene's passing. I worked with Gene for years at the Employment Development Department; he was such a nice and patient man. He was our divisions' statistician; so it wasn't uncommon for us to consult with Gene on our projects; he was always so patient with those of us that had difficulty with statistics; and yet he took the time to educate us; even facilitating training sessions so staff could better understand statistics. He also was very helpful to me in understanding the game of soccer. When my daughter was growing up she joined a soccer team and I knew nothing about the game--so I went to see Gene. One of things Gene loved to talk about was his kids and the sports they were involved in. He started by drawing me a map of the playing field, he explained the rules to me, and he would periodically ask me how the games were going. I truly enjoyed working with and conversing with Gene. I'm sorry for your loss. Please accept my deepest sympathies.

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