Marian D. (Zupan) Gallagher

MARIAN DOLORES ZUPAN GALLAGHER joined the Lord on July 6, 2015 at the age of 92.  She was the eighth of nine children born to Ivan and Antoinette Zupan.  “Zupie” grew up in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood, attending St Aloysius School and Collinwood High Schools (1940) where her musical talent shined as a pianist and accompanist.  Marian matriculated to Kent State University and met Michael, the love of her life, when they were both cast in the freshman play. Midway through her studies Marian transferred to Flora Stone Mather College where she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in speech pathology.  With Michael and her brothers away during WWII, Marian threw herself into the pioneer career of teaching the hearing impaired to communicate with the wider world.  She loved teaching so much that after her marriage, she continued to tutor privately and volunteer in schools, parishes and hospitals throughout Cleveland, Ohio and Naples, Florida for more than 40 years. Marian was a board member and an avid supporter of Fairmount Theatre of the Deaf (now Cleveland SignStage Theatre). She was named Deaconess Hospital Volunteer of the Year for her work with speech impaired stroke victims. First and foremost, Marian was a loving, fun and generous wife, mother, and grandmother and great grandmother. Nothing was too big or small when it came to her family.  She was Michael’s number one co-pilot, spending hundreds of hours flying cross-country to meetings, vacations and to visit her family and grandchildren.  Packing a family of five into a station wagon and trailer to drive to California and back was an adventure.  When her children were grown, when Michael wanted to travel to Australia, Europe or the USSR, Marian was game.  She opened her arms and her home to her children’s’ lives, befriending their friends, feeding hordes of hungry boys, organizing high school play closing night parties, hosting exchange students, volunteering at school, sewing curtains for those first apartments and so on.  When her grandchildren were born, “Nana” dropped everything to be there, helping, organizing, comforting, teaching and cleaning.  She loved all of her grandchildren intensely and was proudly part of their lives as they grew and matured.  And through it all, Marian was a repository of jokes, sometimes naughty, sometimes nice, but always perfectly delivered.  Perhaps her greatest gift to her family was her sense of humor. Marian and Michael raised their family in Parma Heights, Parma and Chagrin Falls.  She had a special affection for Chagrin and the friends she made there over the last 40 years. Marian’s faith was a cornerstone of her life.  She was dedicated to serving through teaching catechism, participating enthusiastically in parish life and developing life-long personal relationships within her community of faith. Beloved wife of the late Michael R. Gallagher, Marian leaves her loving children Maureen G. Donelan (Michael), Jeffrey M. Gallagher (Cathy), and Laura G. Stack (Charles), her adored grandchildren Andrew (Sarah), Gregory and Kevin Donelan, Nan and Joseph Gallagher, and Genevieve, Russell and Veronica Stack, and her precious great-grandchildren James and Thomas Donelan, her most beloved kid brother Cyril Zupan (Audrey) and dozens of cousins, nieces and nephews.  Marian also leaves her loving and dedicated caregivers who made her last years joyful. Mass of Christian Burial Saturday, July 11 at St. Joan of Arc Church, 496 E. Washington, Chagrin Falls, Ohio.  Family will receive friends from 10 am until the time of service at 11 am.

In lieu of flowers, Marian’s family suggests memorial contributions to St. Aloysius – Parish Food Bank, 10932 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44108 or to support the Ministries to the Disabled at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, 2486 W. 14^th St., Cleveland, Ohio 44113. Arrangements by Stroud-Lawrence Funeral Home Chagrin Falls, OH. www.stroudlawrence.com

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