Stephen P. Gallagher

Stephen P. Gallagher, 84, passed away on Saturday, September 3, 2022, in Lancaster, PA. He was the son of Anna Louise (Joyce) Gallagher and Charles Ambrose Gallagher. He moved to Lancaster in 2018 from Cape Cod, MA where he had retired and lived for 25 years. He spent his career as a Mechanical Engineer (in the power generation field) with General Electric in Schenectady, NY. His death was ultimately attributed to pneumonia, the cause of which was unknown. He did not have COVID but was living with chronic congestive heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease. His death was sudden and sad for his loved ones. He is survived by his two children, Edith L. Gallagher (Edie) and Stephen J. Gallagher (Stevie), and by both of his sisters, Joyce Gallagher, and Ann Curno. Steve had four grandchildren, Henry and Theo Gallagher, and Griffin and Maggie Fields. He also had two nieces, Tamsyn and Olivia Curno. His first wife, Bonnie, predeceased him. He is survived by his second wife, Nancie Shelhamer, and her two children, Cy and Lanie, to whom he was an important influence. Steve was smart and witty; he loved a good joke or play on words and was always joking around. He also loved engaging in deep, interesting, and intellectual conversations. He prided himself on being well-read and well-informed. He was also a ‘technical guy’ – very good with numbers, computers, electronics, and tools. He loved music, listening, playing, and going to concerts with friends. In addition, Steve was an avid birdwatcher and loved to travel, hike, swim and be outdoors. Steve was extremely generous, supportive of, and fiercely devoted to those he loved and those he mentored. He would give you the shirt off his back! He was a great grandfather. He would read at bedtime, play chase at the playground, sea monster at the beach and jumpy-jumpy on the bed. He loved to attend school concerts and baseball games to watch his grandkids perform and play. He was very proud of his kids and grandkids. When Steve passed, he had been sober for 41 years. He was an active participant in AA, always involved in leadership and administration for his local meeting on Cape Cod and the list of people who he sponsored is very, very long. He was devoted to helping people find their way. His family is proud of his accomplishments and service to AA. Steve was also a spiritual person. He was raised Catholic and expanded his studies to Eastern and Native American spiritual concepts and ideas. He also loved to study ‘sacred geometries’ of the Earth, prehistoric peoples, and healing arts. He believed strongly in kindness, connection, love, and miracles. Steve will be greatly missed by his family, his friends and the many people whose lives he touched.