Obituary: Barbara Gallagher, 91

Mystic Funeral Home

STONINGTON, CT - Barbara Gallagher, 91, passed away at her home in Pawcatuck, Ct. on Monday February 3 after a very short battle with cancer.

Baa was born in Boston, Mass. in August 1928 to Clinton and Barbara Biddle. Her early years were spent in Cambridge, Mass. Until the family moved to Weston, Mass. She attended the Shady Hill School, Abbott Academy and Connecticut College for Women where she was captain of the equestrian team.

After graduating college she worked as social worker in Newark, NJ until her next adventure took her to Stowe, Vt., where she helped run the original Round Hearth ski lodge. It was in Stowe that she met her future husband Paul Gallagher. They were married in July 1956 in Mystic Ct., then moved to Massachusetts where Paul was a schoolteacher. Looking for more adventure, Paul and Baa moved to Denver Co. for a teaching opportunity. !n 1960 Paul was given a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in England for a year and off they went to Bourneville. At the conclusion of the family’s year abroad they moved to St. Johnsbury Vt. Then eventually settled in Jericho raising their family.

Baa was an avid athlete and outdoors person. She was an enthusiastic back yard maple syrup producer for 40 years in Vermont and then in Connecticut. She loved sailing, swimming, tennis, bike riding, downhill and cross-country skiing. She canoed and learned how to windsurf at 60. In Connecticut at the clan’s summer home she taught generations of nieces, nephews, cousins and grandchildren how to swim, play tennis, and aqua plane.

Baa was a “Time Philanthropist” volunteering her time and energies to a variety of interests. She taught countless kids to ski at the Underhill Ski Bowl, she volunteered with her children’s Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and 4-H activities (just don’t asked her to bake!), all the while balancing life with three kids, horses, dogs, cats, and the occasional pet mice. She was the resident mother to the U.S. Biathlon team that trained in Jericho Vt. encouraging and feeding them. In the mid 70’s Baa started and coached the tennis teams at Mount Mansfield Union High School continuing to coach the girls team for almost 20 years. In addition to coaching high school tennis, Baa taught adult tennis on a court in her back yard where she encouraged a love of tennis to many in the community. In 1979 she was a finalist in the annual community award given by the USTA for outstanding contributions to recreational tennis and was instrumental in getting the public courts in Jericho built, remember- “Tennis in Jericho, Starts with G for Gallagher” She also spent many years volunteering with court diversion programs in Burlington to help keep first offenders from being incarcerated.

Baa spent many happy years in Stonington, Ct. where her family enjoyed summers and in 2002 Baa and Paul retired to Stonington. She continued to volunteer- crashboating at the Wednesday Night Dinghy Series as well as continuing her involvement and passion for tennis. In spite of macular degeneration she hit tennis balls until she was 89 and still swam in the ocean until Thanksgiving.

She is survived by her 3 children and their spouses, Su (Mark), Beth (Paul) and Tom (Wendy). She will deeply missed by her grandchildren Conor, Flannery, Caeli and Brenna and her furry children Damnit, Cali, Jack and Big Boy as well as her surviving siblings and the many family members scattered out across the world, but so near to her heart. Baa was predeceased by her husband of 47 years, Paul who died on February 3, 2003 17 years ago to the day.

A service will be held at the Road Church in Stonington on Saturday, February 22nd at 11:30 am.