Maureen Claire "Mo" Gallagher

Maureen's life was defined by her strong Catholic faith and unwavering dedication to her family. Born to the late Frank and Lauretta Callahan, she and her two older sisters, Jacqueline and Joan, moved several times during their youth until the family settled in Waynesboro, VA. She told stories about how her father owned the Western Auto, a Tire Discount, and also a laundromat. She said she couldn’t get away with any shenanigans because everyone knew her parents and even the priests recognized her voice in the confessional. Her mother, of French Canadian descent, spoke with a distinctive Rhode Island accent and was a strong role model. Her father, full Irish, had a roaring sense of humor and adored his girls.

After high school, Maureen attended Mary Washington College, majoring in Economics, when she met the love of her life on a blind date. They began dating and she thought he had potential to be 'the one', but he wasn’t ready to settle down. They both dated other people and she hilariously sabotaged one of his dates, unbeknownst to him until years later.

After graduation, she worked for the NLRB in Washington D.C. They next saw each other at a wedding and he realized he made a mistake and wanted to ask her out again. She told him that she wouldn't date him if he was the last man on Earth. It took him a couple months to summon the courage to call her, but she agreed to go out with him again. Maureen married Dennis Gallagher at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Waynesboro on October 10, 1964.

Mo and Denny wanted a big family, so they had 5 children in 6 1/2 years. Denny was a U.S. Marine, so Mo became proficient at packing up the house as they moved the family multiple times, often raising the kids alone while he was deployed. They lived in Arlington, VA where their first child, Dennis, was born. Then Meg arrived while stationed at Fort Sill, OK. Kate was born while they lived in Annandale, VA and Frank and Deidre were both born while stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. After that, the family lived in Middletown, RI, White Sands Missile Range, NM, Fort Hood, TX and Dumfries, VA. They moved to Fort Wayne when Denny retired from the Marine Corps and took a job at Magnavox.

Mo stayed at home to raise her kids until they were all in school, then she rejoined the workforce and worked at Peebles Department Store in Virginia, Nutrisystem in Fort Wayne, then PBI on the Landing on Columbia Street. Her focus, attention to detail, friendliness and professionalism came through in each of those settings, often setting her on a fast track for leadership roles. Mo and Denny traveled extensively. From family ski trips to Colorado, to a holiday in The Alps, a train trip on the Orient Express, numerous trips to Normandy, France and the Big Pitt in Wales and another train trip through Canada, they always had a planned adventure “on the books.” When Denny had an opportunity to work in England, they hopped the pond and lived for 3 years in a converted Paddock House in the countryside of Warminster. While in England, they traveled to so many pubs that they both earned free sweatshirts. They loved to invite family over so they could tour them around England and Wales. They enjoyed living there so much, they went back many times for extended holidays. Mo and Denny had been married 62 years.

Maureen is survived by her devoted husband, Dennis; her 5 children, Dennis (Tammy) Gallagher, Meg (Johnathan) Brouwer, Kate (Don) Jones, Frank (Lanette) Gallagher, and Deidre (Jon) Dubbelde; her 12 grandkids, Camryn, Taylor, Emerson, Sean, Gareth, Christine, Brenna, Evan, Declan, Samantha, Cole and Xavier; and 5 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her oldest sister, Jacqueline; and many nieces and nephews. She will be forever remembered for her fierce devotion, her love of family, her dry sense of humor, her competency in everything she did, and her love of reading. She will be deeply missed.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 am on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 10700 Aboite Center Road, Fort Wayne, with visitation one hour prior. Visitation will also be from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Friday, October 16, 2026, at Greenlawn Funeral Home, 6750 Covington Road, Fort Wayne.

A private family burial will be at National Memorial Cemetery at Quantico, VA. Memorials in Mo's name may be made to the National Kidney Foundation (https://www.kidney.org/) or the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (https://msfocus.org/).

Condolences and memories of Mo may be left online at www.greenlawnmpfh.com