Faculty
In Memoriam: Joseph Gallagher
It is with great sadness that SFU English shares the passing of retired SFU English Professor Joseph Gallagher who passed away on October 17th at the age of 81.
Professor Gallagher hailed from Reading, Massachusetts. He demonstrated academic excellence at an early age, graduating from high school at 15 and completing his PhD in English Literature at Notre Dame by age 25.
In 1966, Professor Gallagher immigrated to Canada and began teaching at Simon Fraser University in 1967. He taught at SFU for almost 30 years, engaging students with the words of Chaucer and Shakespeare. Professor Gallagher encouraged lively discussion and displayed his skill as an actor and playwright. He also did his best to make sure students understood how the older versions of English—whether Medieval or Shakespearean—may have sounded as a living language.
A celebration of life for Professor Gallagher was held at VanDusen Botanical Garden on November 3rd. He is deeply missed by his family, friends, and SFU colleagues. The Department of English sends its condolences to all who knew him.