Mr Gallagher was my Dayton High school principal and I worked with him at Yamhill ESD. What a great guy. He was kind, funny, and truly cared about others. He will be missed. Debbie Morris-Ewoldt

Family

Oh man, it always seems the good die young Mr. Gallagher. I have not seen or spoken with you for 48 years, but you had an impact on my life Mr. Gallagher, yes I cannot even fathom calling you Tom, even though I know your little brother. You gave me a break back in 73', no I will not divulge why, but you, I and Chris G know why. Thank you for being who you were, you were different from other teachers, but in a good way. I loved playing football for you, you never profiled me because of my name and always treated me with respect, may you always Rest In Peace Mr. Gallagher, I will miss you!

Thomas Gallagher, TJG, that's what we called him. It made him sound like a junior executive of some company. He had a work ethic that was unbeatable. For example he was an English teacher, English department chairman, and a student council advisor. He picked all the movies and assemblies we had; if it stunk he took the heat for it too. He coached all the sports. He organized and supervised all the dances that we had in junior high, and he ran the infamous student store. Tom was one of the good guys. I'm going to miss him terribly. Just knowing he was in your corner you were a winner too. Goodbye buddy. Dan Ponso

Carol, I am saddened to hear of Tom’s passing. I had the pleasure of working with him at the then McMinnville Junior High School, where every encounter with him was positive. His proactive energy and respectful treatment of students and staff alike set a tone for success! And Carol, I have such great memories of working with you at Duniway, you did so much for me and others to make our days brighter and our school operation smoother. Please extend my heartfelt condolences to all your family. Marilyn

Remembering Tom and Carol and their beautiful family at St. James. Tom always had a smile and twinkle in his eyes. He was such a kind and happy man. Carol, please know that Duane and I are holding you and your family in our hearts and prayers.

As a McMinnville Junior High student in 1972 I remember Mr. Gallagher well as he was one of my favorite teachers. As I read the tributes from faculty members, their comments didn't surprise me because he was the same in the classroom. The words "by example" really ring true with me. He had a way of making a subject interesting. I remember him being relaxed (yet energized) and kind. I have two distinct memories. The first was he had us listen to the lyrics of "American Pie" by Don McClean. He encouraged us to say what we thought it meant. It was a pretty interesting discussion because of the current times. Then we had a discussion about presidential candidate Senator George McGovern as there had been an assassination attempt. We watched news footage. I knew exactly where I was when I heard that news...in his class. He made us think outside the box. What he accomplished in his career in education is wonderful, and I'm thankful to have been a student. My deepest sympathies to your family and friends. Lori (Harding) Strahm

I had been thinking of Tom a couple days prior to hearing of his death. Wondering how his life evolved. Perhaps this is something we do as we are older and review people in our lives. I was in school with Tom from 6th grade through high school. And I remember he lived across the street from Memorial school. During our awkward jr. high years, Tom would wait for me(and perhaps others)to open the door in the morning! Seemed he had been taught to be ever the gentleman. And as we learned to ballroom dance, he was really quite accomplished and fun to dance with. So glad to read a bit about his life and condolences to his family and friends.

Your husband and father was one of the kindest teachers I had the pleasure of knowing while a student at McMinnville Junior High School in the early '70's. It seemed he was always smiling. I'm so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.

I worked with Tom at Yamhill ESD some years ago. What a great guy. He was kind, funny, and truly cared about others. I still remember seeing him every morning in the break room reading the newspaper and drinking his coffee -- said it was the only break he'd get all day!

Dear Dad, I miss you every single day. I will never forget the times we spent putting together my first basketball hoop and the leftover bolt we had. We never figured out where it went but it did not matter because the smile on my face and endless hours we shot around together made the missing bolt disappear. You taught me the fundamentals of basketball and life. Thanks for teaching me how to be an adult and early life lessons you taught me so I would be successful. Our last trip together was to Alaska and our many offshore excursions. One memory was when they were teaching you how to pan for gold and you kept shaking it without tilting the pan, so all the sediment just sat at the bottom. I hope I make you happy every day you look down on me, miss you and love you for everything you sacrificed for our family.

I'm very sorry to hear of Tom's passing. He was my athletic director at McMinnville Junior High School when I was hired to teach and coach in 1979. He was a true coaches coach. We became good friends to the point of playing practical jokes on each other. I remember one such joke as if it just happened. I got to school early in the morning one day to find my teacher's desk upside down and all the drawers missing. I took me the better part of two days to find them in many different rooms of the school. The challenge was set. About a week went by and Tom got to school to find his filing cabinet was missing all of it's files and it took him about a week looking all over the school to find them. Those were great times. He not only helped me as a young coach but also as a classroom teacher. I'm not sure if you remember me Carol but know that you and your family are in my prayers. Tom was a great guy!

Sorry to hear Tom has passed. We went to Memorial School together and were in the same class at McMinnville High. I lost track of Tom when I moved away, but I am sorry to have another classmate pass. Condolences to his friends and family. Aloha, Allice

Cruise to Alaska

I am very sorry to see the passing of Tom. TJG is what all of us called Tom at McMinnville Jr. High, McMinnville, OR. He was the chief, cook, and bottle washer of the school, heading the L.A. Dept., serving as athletic director, coaching basketball in his suit, and leading student council. He did everything! He became a husband at a relatively late age and just revelled in his marriage. We were all very happy for him. Tom together with the then-principal of MJH took a chance on me in 1978, and I began a 37-year teaching career. It was easy to work with Tom. He lead by example and was encouraging of yourger staff. I admire how he forged ahead in the face of disappointments and the shorthands that can be dealt in life.

As sports editor for the News-Register in McMinnville back in the day, Tom was one of my favorite coaches. He was always a good interview and became a good friend. I know he had a huge impact on many people’s lives. He’ll certainly be missed and I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to reconnect with him after all these years.