Dan Gallagher

1932 - 2019

Daniel William Gallagher

January 25, 1932 - January 12, 2019

Daniel William Gallagher, loving brother of Elizabeth Cahn of Richmond, California, and Dave Gallagher of Hilo, Hawaii, devoted uncle to Aaron, Andrew, Michael and Megan Cahn, and granduncle to six nieces, died in his home on January 12, 2019, just shy of his 87th birthday. Dan graduated from UC Davis with a degree in agricultural economics, where he spent summers working on local ranches. Thus, began a lifelong propensity to quiz his nephews and niece on cow breeds, whenever they drove by a pasture. In 1953, Dan was stationed in Bavaria, Germany as a member of the 35th Army Infantry Scout Dog Platoon. Dan instructed his beloved dog Bruno, now part of family lore, to sniff out soldiers behind enemy lines. Their rigorous training was put to the test during numerous military parades. While on leave, Dan toured Europe on his BMW motorcycle, sparking his love of travel. His next escapade took him to Mexico, where he found himself on a dusty bus crowded with live chickens before hiking the route of Cortéz from Vera Cruz to Mexico City. He climbed volcanoes, avoided banditos and shared his dwindling food supply with hungry villagers. Upon completing his pilgrimage, Dan returned to UC Davis for post-grad work. Dan worked for the State of California in water resources in Sacramento, then as a project manager for Bechtel in San Francisco. For his last career incarnation, he coordinated incentive trips and travelled all over the world racking up a mind-bending number of frequent flyer miles. Like the Marlboro man who never took a drag, one couldn't help but notice Dan's rugged good looks and striking blue eyes. But it was his empathy and kindness that drew people to him. Dan made lasting friendships and will be missed by those he met trekking across Europe in his youth, on assignment for work, and in his day-to-day life in San Francisco. Known simply as "Uncle" to his nephews and niece, he would take his sister's starstruck kids to football games, pancake breakfasts, musical theatre, and even trips to Hawaii. Dan was an expert skier. He hiked the Berner Oberland in his sixties and spent the last five summers in Paris. Well into his eighties, Dan did twenty push-ups daily and climbed two flights of stairs to his apartment with a view of Alta Mira Park. He was a nail-biting football fan of both the Golden Bears and Notre Dame. Dan kept pruning shears in his car and was known to jump out to conduct impromptu yard work if he deemed a tree in need of a trim. Dan will be remembered for his infectious smile, his deep love of family and his ability to listen. He followed the exploits of every family member – no tale was too long and no detail too trivial. He was each of their biggest fans. For information about his memorial service please visit fb.me/DanWilliamGallagher