April 7, 1933 – April 11, 2018

James V. Gallagher, 85, passed away peacefully on April 11 at his home in Orange County after a fall in March. He is survived by Linda, his wife of 32 years. He was a longtime Crescenta Valley resident.

Jim was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 7, 1933 to Marion Jacobsen and James Gallagher. His parents and sister, Virginia Duffy, preceded him in death.

In 1952, Jim graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Phoenix, Arizona where the family moved because of his asthma. He attended Phoenix College before his family returned to Brooklyn. An early job was as an usher at the famous Radio City Music Hall.

Jim met his first wife, Marcy Moran, in Brooklyn where they married in 1957. He began a sales career with Hallmark Cards and started a family. A job with Franciscan Ceramics in Glendale brought them to La Cañada in 1971. He subsequently was a salesman in the paper goods industry and the tableware industry.

Active in the Paradise Valley Homeowner’s Association and neighborhood golf and bowling leagues, Jim enjoyed playing piano, guitar and bass. He was a jokester, storyteller and life of the party. Jim also was a very talented painter.

Jim and Linda married in January 1986 and made their home in Orange County where he worked the contractor’s desk at Home Depot. Jim retired in 1999, but was bored and took a part-time job at Home Depot’s Orange County headquarters before retiring again in 2008.

Jim is survived by his children Carol Kramer (Bob); Jim (Paula); and Dan (Dawn); stepchildren Arlene Dodson and Matthew Stibal (Erin); and grandchildren Donny (Theresa), Jason (Carolyn), Sara, Tanya and Tanner Gallagher; Christopher Kramer, Emma Dodson, Tyler Stibal; great grandchildren Muri and Lucas Gallagher; his brother, P.J. (Betty) of Arizona and many nieces and nephews.

Donations in Jim’s memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.