William J. Gallagher

On October 15, 2021, William James Gallagher was called to heaven at the age of 81. “Bill” Gallagher was a devoted husband to his surviving wife of 59 years, Loretta, and is further survived by his children Jim (Jennifer) and Jill, grandchildren Billy, Brooke, Matthew and Kristen, sister Patricia Morgan, and numerous nieces and nephews. Bill was born and raised in Revere, Massachusetts, a graduate of Merrimack College, raised his family in Morrisville, Vermont, and semi-retired in the Clearwater, Florida area. Bill loved the ocean and had a deep appreciation for nature. He was an avid reader, a Boston Sports fan, a car enthusiast, animal lover, and a strong personality, intellectual and down to earth, a bold personality while still being a gentle spirit. His gentleness showed most when talking about his grandchildren. He spent countless hours volunteering in his local communities serving on many Hospital and Library Boards. Bill had a long and distinguished career in the field of Public Power, working up until the last week of his life. His professional accomplishments are many, including Chairman of the American Public Power Association, earning the APPA Statesmanship Award, serving as CEO of APPA’s Task Force on Climate Change, former General Manager of VPPSA, and former General Manager of Vermont Electric Co-op. Bill was a strong advocate for the reliability, resilience and security of the North American electric grid, having served as Chair of the North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) Members Representatives Committee in 2011, Vice Chair in 2010, and serving as an active member until his passing. Bill served the past several years as a Consultant for the Transmission Access Policy Study Group. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Jude's Hospital, the dearest to him of many children’s charities Bill gave to generously for decades. A visitation for William will be held Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Serenity Funeral Home, 13401 Indian Rocks Road, Largo, FL 33774, followed by a memorial service beginning at 11:00 AM. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.serenityfuneralhomelargo.com for the Gallagher family.