Geraldine Mae Gallagher

Our beautiful mother, Jeri Gallagher, left this world on January 22, 2023, to be reunited with the many souls she so deeply loved and whom she somehow survived losing, including her parents Thomas and Helena, sisters Beada and Pearl, brothers Bill and Tom, best friends Grace and Phyl, cherished daughter Nina, and beloved husband John. She was a dear daughter, sister, mother, aunt, and grandmother, and one of the most rare, considerate, compassionate, and sweet-natured souls on the face of the earth. She was the love, light, rock, and inspiration of her husband’s life (our dad). Their love story was truly one of a kind. Her striking beauty and elegance made her appear deceptively delicate, but our Mom was strong. She had an inner strength and perseverance that led her, and all of us, through the loss of our sister at age 21, and our Dad in early 2019. She bravely faced all obstacles that life presented, including her own devastating diagnosis through which she marched courageously and gracefully. Jeri was the warmth of the sun. She possessed immense beauty on the inside and the outside and she inspired and impacted so many. If you ever received a note from mom, you can attest to the fact that, in addition to her elegant penmanship, her sincere, heartfelt and eloquent words made you feel like the most special person in the world. She was the heart and soul of our family. She raised four children, while simultaneously advancing through an impressive US government career in the Department of Defense Logistics Agency, driven in part by her goal to contribute to her children’s college educations. She created a warm and welcoming home for us and all who entered. Her love for her family was the motivation for all that she did throughout her adult life, from working, cleaning, cooking, shopping, sewing, chauffeuring, doctoring and otherwise meeting all of our needs. She poured herself into every detail of meticulously planning wonderful vacations and family events. She was a perfectionist, even to the detail that she put into wrapping a gift with origami-like precision. She gifted us all with her deep love and tender care, instilled her morals in us, and gave us the confidence to succeed. She believed in her children and grandchildren and encouraged them to achieve anything they set their minds to. She is survived by her sister Irene Schneider, sister-in-law Shirley Booth, life long friends Mary Lou Carberry and Ruth Boonin, three living children, John III (Judy), Kevin (Elizabeth), and Diane (Alan), eight beautiful grandchildren, Cecilia, Nicholas, John IV, Ian, Nina, Madison, Julia, and Michael, and many loving nieces and nephews whom she adored. We were fortunate and grateful to spend so much quality time with her over our lives and especially over the past several months. She was proud of us all and we are forever proud of her. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: The JMU Foundation, Helene Cecile (Nina) Gallagher Scholarship Endowment Fund, at James Madison University, 1031 Harrison Street, MSC 8501, Harrisonburg, VA, 22807 Online donations can be made by clicking the JMU Foundation hyperlink under "Donations" (see the link below on this page.)