Schuylkill County Obituaries for 10/18/18
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James “Jim” R. Gallagher, age 76, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 in San Antonio, TX. Jim was born on December 7, 1941, to James and Sally Gallagher. He was raised in Centralia, PA in the heart of the coal regions and met the love of his life, Darlene, his senior year at Ashland High School. He received a scholarship from Susquehanna University where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Math followed by a Masters of Science from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1967. In 1962, Jim and Darlene started their life together and moved to New Jersey where he worked at Bell Labs as a computer programmer. His work life journey continued on to RCA, Memorex, Social Security Administration, and Datapoint which finally brought him and his family to San Antonio, Texas. In 1983, Jim joined TRW as the Program Manager for the Air Force Logistics Command program to modernize their computerized information systems for the 1990s. As the Director of Systems Integrations, he led large LAN installations as well as Operations and Maintenance of these systems until 1996. Afterwards, he led the initial Cyber Security design and deployment for the Air Force CITS Program and cyber support for the Department of Homeland Security at their first headquarters. While TRW was purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2003, Jim maintained the ethics, morale, and employee focus instilled by TRW until his retirement in 2007.
Jim and his wife, Darlene, were charter members of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church. Throughout their 38 years of membership, they supported the church in many ways, giving of their time and talents. Jim was the first lay president of the congregation, headed up capital campaigns, and served on the building committee for the first building and subsequent builds. Both Jim and Darlene laid the foundation for making APLC a place of grace. He was preceded in death by, his parents and his beloved wife of 52 years, Darlene Gallagher. He is survived by his sons, James R. Gallagher II; Jeffrey Gallagher and wife Laura; and Kevin Gallagher and wife Cindy; grandchildren, Sean, Evan, Megan, Jamie, Jack, and Ryann. The memorial service will be held at 10:00 A.M. December 15, 2018 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Ashland, PA. Rev. Dana Heckman-Biel officiating. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, Wounded Warriors Project, or Samaritan’s Purse.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Born in Minersville, he was a son of the late Lawrence and Stella Trzebinski Pecina. He attended Minersville schools, and worked as a welder for Envirotech Corporation and General Electric, Lebanon, Pa. until his retirement in 1993. He was an Army veteran of the Korean War, having proudly served with the Military Police Corps as a Corporal at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.
He was a member of the former St. Francis of Assisi Church, Minersville and was a current member of St. Michael the Archangel Church, Minersville.
He was a lifelong Penn State and Philadelphia Eagles football fan. A self-taught car mechanic and NASCAR racing fan, he enjoyed working with race teams on their cars at the Black Diamond Raceway, and on his own cars, including his beloved 1953 Buick Roadmaster. He was also an avid woodworker, and could build or fix just about anything around the house and for his family and friends.
Preceding him in death were six siblings, Cecelia Namovage, Josephine Peyus, Joseph, John, Eddie and Helen Pecina.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, the former Genevieve Stefanavage; a daughter, Cindi Machuzick (spouse, John), San Clemente, California; grandson Mark Machuzick, Washington, DC; a stepson, Gerald Neveras, Minersville; and granddaughter Jessica Colasanto (spouse, Rob), British Columbia, Canada.
Relatives and friends may call at Dutcavich Funeral Home, 200 Sunbury Street, Minersville, on Tuesday from 8:45 A.M. to 9:30 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 541 Sunbury Street, Minersville, on Tuesday at 10:00 A.M. Interment with military honors will be in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, East Hanover Township.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
