Meg Gallagher Allen

M. Gallagher Caldwell passed away peacefully at Totara Hospice 6 December 2023, aged 75 surrounded by family. Loved wife Johnny, mother of Zoey Henley, son-in-law Lee, brother Craig Allen and his wife Mary Kay, grandmother to Hope and great grandmother to Archie and Te Atawahi.

Gallagher loved everything Italian, was a fantastic cook and an accomplished artist. Born in Greensboro North Carolina on Groundhog Day 1947 to Doyle and Lt Colonel Guy Allen. Gallagher grew up as a US Air Force brat. As a youngster, she lived in Mississippi, Italy, France, Germany, England then back to the US in Boulder then New Mexico where she did her undergraduate degree at New Mexico State. It was at university where she came across John Caldwell, a US Army soldier at White Sands Missile Range just across the mountain from the University. John spotted the shoulder length brown hair, lovely face and trim figure, and the rest is history.

John and Gallagher moved to LA where they had Baby Zoey. Gallagher became a professional Librarian with an MS in Library Science from Cal. State. While living in LA, she co-founded a library services business which she re-created when she and John and Zoey moved to New Zealand. Gallagher’s business provided professional library services setting up libraries for engineering firms. The Caldwell family traveled widely as New Zealanders tend to do. Destinations included Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Rarotonga, Tahiti, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, UK, Austria, and France. Gallagher studied one-on-one Italian with her famous friend, Meme Churton who was the same age as the Queen.

Everyone loves Gallagher including her large circle of family and friends. She was kind, lovely, intelligent, my lover and best friend. Gallagher leaves behind a trail of hope, light, laughter, and kindness.

Service will be a private, family affair. Rather than flowers, donations to Wingspan Birds of Prey Trust would be appreciated.