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Rosemary Flahive GallagherRosemary Flahive Gallagher(born May 23, 1928) is a retired American U.S. Naval Officer and Social Servicelobbyist and advocate who lives in Tallahassee, Florida. Personal BackgroundGallagher was born in Tannersville, New York, the son ofEilleen and James Flahive. Her fatherwas a school principal, teacher and coach in the only public school in thevillage. She grew up in a large Irish Catholicfamily of five children. She graduatedfrom Boston University, where she attended at the same time as the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, whoobtained his Divinity Degree from BU. After graduation, Gallagher taught English in Massachusets. She later became a Naval Officer. She met John M. Gallagher, who was a fellowNaval Officer in New Jersey at the Lakehurst Naval station. After marrying John Gallagher, theyeventually moved to Tallahassee, Florida where they raised five children. The“Conscience of the Florida Legislature”Gallagher was a socialservice advocate who was a lobbyist in Tallahassee, Florida in the 1970’s, 80’sand 90’s. Several writers, includingSenator Robert McKnight, who served with Gallagher,have referred to her as the “conscience of the Florida legislature.”  Then Tallahassee Democrat Editor Mary Ann Lindley wrotean article about Gallagher’s retirement in 1993. The title of the article was“The Legislature’s Conscience is about to retire.”  Lindley referred to Gallagher’s socialservice lobbying as her “fourth career.” In the article Lindley notes that Rosemary Gallagher was a Naval officerand Lindley wrote “I was on my way to being the first navy Admiral. I loved the Navy.”    Rosemary Flahive Gallagherwas recognized with awards by three Florida Governors:  Former U.S. Senator and then Governor BobGraham (D), the Late U.S. Senator(then Governor) Lawton Chiles (D) and former Governor BuddyMacKay (D). She was appointed to Governors Graham andChiles to the Florida State Task Force on the Homeless. She was also appointed and served under GovernorsLawton Chiles, Bob Graham and Buddy MacKay for three terms on the Florida State Affordable Housing Study Commission.Pope John Paul II decreedupon Rosemary Gallagher in 1993 the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifica Medal whichis awarded by the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church to those who havedemonstrated distinguished service. Itis the highest medal that can be awarded to the laity by the Papacy. Gallagher’s lobbying effortsfocused on social services and social justice. She worked diligently on multiple issues. She worked closely with the FloridaLegislative Black Caucus including Congresswoman CarrieMeek and Congresswoman Corrine Brown to improve the lives of minorities in areas of affordable housing,jobs and health care. Gallagher was astaunch advocate of universal health care and partnered with Families USA, a D.C. based organization in advocating for affordable healthcare. She also fought for free prenatalcare, paid parental leave and universal Pre-K. Of both Irish and Scandinavian descent, many of the social governmentalprograms that Gallagher fought for were similar to those in Scandinavia. She was a staunch opponent of the deathpenalty and an advocate for civil rights. Gallagher lobbied for therights of migrant workers, particularly the Immokalee tomato pickers who wereand continue to work in unsafe conditions without a living wage. She worked closely with Karen Woodall, an advocate who sharedGallagher’s passion for the working poor. Woodall at the time was the Executive Director of Florida Impact, agroup lobbying on behalf of migrant workers. After Gallagher and Woodall spoke out about the conditions of migrantworkers in Florida, the New York Times quoted Woodall in a 1988 article about the plight ofFlorida’s migrant workers. Gallagher chaired a budgetgroup of a clearinghouse umbrella organization championing causes for the poor, aged and ill which included thelate Bud Bell, Karen Woodall, Jack Levine and others. The Clearinghouse on Human Services was founded in 1974 by the late Bud Bell, a very close friend andfellow advocate of Gallagher. Gallagher and Bell worked together on manyissues, especially on issues affecting poor childrenand children with special needs. Gallagher served on the Board of Directors of ECHO ofTallahassee, an organizationdedicated to providing emergency assistance to the needy. Gallagher was a staunch advocate for women,especially teenage mothers and poor women. She was quoted in a 1991 Florida Sun-Sentinel article as saying “Poor women are still at the bottom of the barrel. Becauseof divorce, desertion, spouse abuse and the homeless situation, we`re findingmore and more women with children who are trying to cope and can`t.”Gallagher was a proud life-longdemocrat who was elected to the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee for multiple terms from her Waverly Hills precinct and never lostan election. She was a proud supporterof President Barak Obama. The firstcampaign contribution that Gallagher ever made to a candidate in her life wasto President Obama. Like the Pope,Gallagher also opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was distressed tosee military personnel sent into harm’s way and the killing of innocent humanlives. She was very proud of U.S.Senator Bob Graham for being one of 23 senators to oppose the invasion ofIraq. Gallagher considered Bob Graham,with whom she worked for years, to be an honorable, ethical public servant andher favorite Governor, with the Late Lawton Chiles being a close second. After retirement she continued to serve on theBoard of Catholic Charities. Also inretirement, Gallagher continued to fight cuts to the Medically Needy Programwhich was on the chopping block during almost every Florida Legislative sessionand even in retirement, Gallagher continued to write Op Ed pieces about theissue, one that was dear to her heart because of the matching federal funds andthe fact that the program saved the lives of many of Florida’s workingpoor. Without the medically needyprogram, many Floridians would not have qualified for transplants and as aresult likely would have died.Retirement Years:  Art andTravelIn retirement, Gallagherbecame known as an accomplished watercolorist. She founded Plein Air Tallahassee, is a member of PleinAir Florida and has painted in 16 countries. She was also a member of Emerald Coast PleinAir Painters, Tallahassee Watercolor Society, Women’s Art Network and the Waltoncounty Cultural Arts Association. She traveled to many countries and spentsummers in New York and winters in Florida, where she resided in Seaside,Florida in South Walton County prior to returning to Tallahassee, FL, where shecurrently resides. She was active in theWalton County Cultural Arts Association and the WaltonCounty Democratic Women’s Club.