Joan B. (Derry) Gallagher

Home is where your treasure is. There, your heart will be also. It’s the starting place of hope and dreams. Where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong and laughter never ends. Joan B. Gallagher (nee Derry) loved that place where she could surround herself with family, celebrate the holidays, and enjoy her “stay-cation”. She found her little patch of heaven at the pool. Joan had a work ethic as strong as her love for her family. She was fun, dedicated, loyal, and doting.

Saying goodbye, going away… Saying goodbye seems like such a hard thing to say. Just before sunset on a fresh spring day, Wednesday, May 3, 2023, we held Joan’s hand and wondered why, it was time to say goodbye. Mrs. Gallagher passed away peacefully, after 85 years, in the care and comfort of Samaritan Hospice surrounded by the love of her family. 

Joan was born in Camden and had spent her entire circle of days in Collingswood. She was a graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School, class of 1956, and had immediately gone to work. Her career’s formative years were spent working at the Garden State Race Track and had spanned 50 years before retiring from Subaru in Cherry Hill where she worked in accounting. Mrs. Gallagher held her faith dear and was a lifetime parishioner of Transfiguration Parish in Collingswood. She just adored Christmas because its magic was silent. It isn’t something you hear, you feel it. You know it and you believe it.       

To the world, Joan, you were a mother and wife but, to your family, you are our world. Mrs. Gallagher is survived by her loving husband and widower, Joseph J. Gallagher, Sr. She is the mother of; Dawn & her husband James Carter, and Joseph, Jr. & his wife Amy Gallagher, Joan was the proud grandmother of James & his wife Madison (nee Rupert) Carter, Amanda Carter, Melissa & her husband Mike Pryzbylkowski, Joseph M. & his wife Alexandra, Holly & her husband Brandon Coyne, Kelly & her husband Ryan McFadden, Christine Gallagher, Ryan Gallagher and Shannon Gallagher as well as two great-grandchildren. She is also survived and will be sadly missed by her sisters; Patricia Messaro and Sally Channell. One day we will know how lucky we were to have known her love with wonder, not grief.

Relatives, friends, and neighbors are invited to gather with the Gallagher family. We’ll come together to take comfort in each other. We’ll share our heartfelt stories, the spirit of love, and the generosity of goodness on Wednesday morning between 10:00 am and 11:00 am at St. Joseph The Worker Parish, St. Aloysius Church 37 W. Haddon Ave. Oaklyn between 10:00 am and 11:00 am where a Memorial Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Mark Matthias at 11:00 am. The time-honored tradition of reuniting those we love with nature will be held privately. As an expression of sympathy and in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society www.donate.cancer.org P.O. Box 6704 Hagerstown, MD 21741

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