William Michael Gallahan - Obituary

illiam “Mike” Gallahan died on May 18, 2020 at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD. He was 66. Born on January 8, 1954 in Washington DC, Mike was the first of seven children born to Pat and Alton Gallahan. Mike is preceded in death by his mother Patricia Gallahan, father William Alton Gallahan, sister Kathy Canoles and sister Sharon Gallahan. Mike is survived by his wife of 42 years, Susan Gallahan, daughters Jennifer Gallahan and Laura Gallahan Norton, granddaughter Nova Jade Norton, sisters Colleen Bird and Kelley Corbin and brothers Sam Gallahan and Danny Gallahan and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. Mike was born and raised on Cherry Hill Farm. As one can expect from a family of seven, there was never a dull moment in that household. He had such fond memories of growing up and working on the farm alongside generations of Gallahans. He loved sharing anecdotes about life on the farm; from planting strawberries and stripping tobacco to riding his horse and pretending to be Zorro to show off for the nuns visiting from St. Mary’s of Piscataway. He cherished every minute of farm life. In fact, he would call Cherry Hill Farm home along with the rest of his family for over five decades before eventually selling the farm. In 1976, Mike met the love of his life, Susan, and they married almost two years later in 1978. Mike and Susan built a home on Cherry Hill Farm and soon started a family of their own. After years of farming alongside his father, Alton, and his brother, Danny, Mike took a risk and turned his hobby and passion of baking into a successful career alongside his wife, Susan. He loved being the “Donut Man," and took such great pride in his bakery. Once, during an interview with the Washington Post, he even stated he would do it for free if he could because he loved it so much. Since 2005, Mike and Susan have been enjoying retirement. In 2017, they welcomed their first granddaughter, Nova Jade. It was clear from the beginning that Nova had Mike wrapped around her finger and that being a grandfather would be his favorite job yet. Due to current COVID-19 social gathering restrictions, the family will host a Celebration of Life at a later date to be announced.