Carrie A. Gallaher

Carrie A. Gallaher, a long-time resident of Albuquerque, NM, passed away at her home surrounded by family on Saturday, September 26, 2020. Carrie was born July 8,1929, in Meriden, Connecticut to Raymond M. Clough and Helen "Nellie" Katherine Malay Clough. Raised in a large, extended family, and schooled at Hicks Memorial School in Tolland, Connecticut, her love of music and travel developed early. Carrie and her first husband, Fernald Joseph Leach whom she met in 1949, spent most of the 1950's and 1960's travelling between and living in both Connecticut and El Paso, Texas. They raised four daughters, Nancy C. Paciga, Susan D. Hall, Patricia J. Noe and Laura A. Devlin, and eventually settled in Albuquerque's South Valley in 1970. After Joseph's death in 1985, Carrie married Fred Gallaher in 1987 and spent the next 20 years travelling and learning how to play the accordion, an instrument she had always loved since listening to Doc Williams and The Border Riders on the radio in the 1940s. She and Fred were active members of the Accordion Club of NM, the German American Club, Fiddlers and Musicians of NM, and Valley Christian Church until Fred's death in 2007. The last chapter of her life was spent playing music and travelling with her daughters on adventures all over the Southwest, as well as to Maine, California, Virginia and even Nova Scotia. Carrie will be remembered as a strong, independent woman who was always up for an adventure! She loved her family, large celebrations, traveling, crafts, good music; accordion playing; gardening; and a good joke or "yarn," which she was an expert at telling with a straight face and waiting for your reaction! Once, when asked how she was able to get so many things done in a day she said, "I make a list, and I make it short!" Another favorite "Momism" is: "If you don't dance, the music is wasted" She is preceded in death by her first husband, F. Joseph Leach; second husband, Fred Gallaher; her mother, Nellie; step-mother, Evelyn; father, Raymond; sister, Margaret Iris Harrington; and brother, Roger M. Clough. Carrie will be dearly missed. She is survived by her four daughters; two step-daughters, Joan Fern Leach Erven and Susan Cheney; five sons-in-law; nine grandchildren; Jon Hall; Jennifer Hall; Michael Hall; Richard Jack; Dustin Jack; Kari Paciga; Leila Paciga; Joseph Paciga; Edwin Paciga; many grand, great, and great-great-grandchildren; niece Donna Monsarrat, of Bosque, NM; sister-in-law, Catherine Clough of Los Alamos, NM; and many other dear nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Saturday October 10, 2020, 2 pm at Valley Christian Church, 2850 Gun Club Rd., Albuquerque NM 87121. Pastor David Rorabaugh of the church and Chaplain Joanne Lee of Ambercare Hospice will officiate. Arrangements are being made by Riverside Funeral Home, Albuquerque, NM. You may visit the on-line guest register for Carrie at www.RiversideFunerals.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation: https://www.kidney.org. Arrangements entrusted to: Riverside Funeral Home of Albuquerque 225 San Mateo Blvd. NE (505) 764-9663