F. Michael Gallagher (Mike), 81 of Heathrow, Florida died March 18, 2016 at home from complications of congestive heart failure. Mike was born at home on August 31, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, to Jean and Padraic Gallagher. He had three brothers, Edward J. Burns, Robert O. Burns, and Padraic J. Gallagher, all of whom preceded him in death, and one sister Patricia Gallagher Wenzel (Joseph) who survives him. Mike went to school in Chicago and graduated from Waller High School in 1951. He attended the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, and graduated in 1955 with a degree in Accountancy. He married Priscilla Poitras of Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1957. Together they had four sons: Mark, born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1958; Daniel, born in Sycamore, Illinois, 1960; Thomas, born in Scotia, New York, in 1962; and James, born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1964. Each new state seemed to bring another son. Mike is survived by his wife and four sons and six granddaughters and one grandson. He worked for General Electric Company at various locations, and Lenox, Incorporated, in New Jersey where he advanced to the position of Chief Financial Officer. Subsequently he worked as CFO of Mohawk Data Sciences in New Jersey, and as CFO of Beatrice Consumer Products, Inc., in Connecticut. Over the years, Mike contributed some of his time and talents to the Boy Scouts of America as a Scoutmaster and Webelos Cub Scout Leader and recently as a Merit Badge Counselor. After retirement from the corporate world, Mike also consulted with many community service organizations. He and Priscilla studied the art of clowning and entertained children and adults at Florida Hospital in Orlando, Give Kids the World in Kissimmee, Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, and Florida United Methodist Children’s Home in Enterprise. They both also entertained students in special education classes and nursing homes. Additionally Mike shared his management, accounting, and computer skills with his church, Grace United Methodist Church, and with the Heathrow Homeowners Association where he lived. The new millennium found Priscilla and Mike traveling the world visiting all seven continents. For their 50th wedding anniversary they traveled ‘around the world’ – from home to Los Angeles to Korea to Vladivostok, Russia, the Siberian Express train to Moscow, a cruise to St. Petersburg, Estonia, Finland, Frankfurt, Germany, and back to the US. He is thankful of all the organizations and people who encouraged and assisted him during his lifetime. He had a good and rewarding life. May God bless them all. The family has planned a Visitation for Monday, March 21, 2016 from 4pm to 7pm at Baldwin-Fairchild Oaklawn Chapel in Sanford, Florida and a Funeral Service for Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 10:30am at Grace United Methodist Church with a Committal Service to immediately follow at Oaklawn Park Cemetery in Sanford, Florida.
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