[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 184 (Tuesday, December 4, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              A TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF LAWRENCE GALLAGHER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 4, 2007

  Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my good 
friend Lawrence Gallagher. Mr. Gallagher unfortunately passed away this 
past Thursday at the age of 68. Larry lived his life with a strong 
commitment to his family and to his community and is certainly most 
deserving of this honor.
  Born in Boston, he enlisted in the United States Air Force shortly 
after finishing high school and was proud to serve his country with 
courage and distinction. At the end of his service, Larry settled in 
Riverside, California where he began his career in law enforcement 
eventually becoming the Deputy Sherriff. With a passion to serve the 
public, Mr. Gallagher went on to become Director of Criminal Justice 
Planning for the Southern California Association of Governments.
  Throughout his life, he remained involved in his community by being a 
member of the Rotary Club, volunteering at the local YMCA, and serving 
on the board of directors at the South Bay Youth and Family Center. A 
devoted family man; he will be deeply missed by his wife, Linda; his 
children Donald, Dennis, Denny, and Holly; and his seven grandchildren.
  Larry had a passion for water resources that led him to serve with a 
number of California water authorities such as: the Kern County Water 
Agency, the West Basin Municipal Water District and the Association of 
California Water Agencies. For years, I was proud to work with Larry on 
the water issues facing our Valley and I was fortunate enough to call 
him a friend. He kindly agreed to serve on the selection committee for 
the Jim Costa--Kern County Water Agency Water Resources Fellowship and 
I was grateful for his advice and wisdom.
  Larry Gallagher was a man of great principle and integrity. He was my 
friend and I will miss him a great deal. He conducted his life with a 
reverence for humanity and with the philosophy of ensuring that our 
future generation's quality of life was protected and assured. It is 
with great pride that I honor him for all that he did on behalf of the 
San Joaquin Valley and for California.

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