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Ret. common pleas judge Paul Gallagher remembered
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: October 13, 2023
A man of many interests and talents, retired Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Paul J. Gallagher worked in several different professions throughout his lifetime, including serving as a journalist, Summit County Council member and an assistant Portage County prosecutor.
“Paul was the type of person who would explore different areas to see if he thought they were worth pursuing,” said his wife Diane Evans. “He kind of sniffed his way through life. If he found something he liked he would give it a try; if not he would move on to something else.
“His career definitely reflects that.”
Whether a council member or a Common Pleas Court judge, Gallagher took his duties seriously, carrying them out in a thorough and ethical fashion, remaining calm and professional even when those around him did not agree with him, said retired 9th District Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Teodosio.
“Paul had a strong moral compass, and when he believed he was doing the right thing he would stick to his guns,” said Teodosio, who served on the county council and common pleas court with Gallagher.
“Paul was a quiet guy,” said Teodosio. “He would always listen, think and then speak. He had a very interesting and diverse background.”
On Sept. 7, Gallagher passed away after an extended struggle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 80.
“He was a very good man,” said Evans. “He dedicated most of his career to public service.
“While he was known for his public service, I knew Paul as a humble, curious, content and laid-back guy, who loved his dogs,” said Evans. “He had a number of them over the years. His favorite place was Hawaii. Paul also enjoyed eating out, walking, Notre Dame football games and his evening Molson Golden.”
Ohio Department of Commerce retired chief financial officer David Hannan said Gallagher was one of his mentors.
“I first met Paul when he was on county council and I was director of finance for the city of Munroe Falls,” said Hannan. “At the time, we were on opposite sides of an issue. While we never agreed on the issue, we developed a mutual respect for one another.
“After I was hired as clerk of council, we worked together,” said Hannan, now a part-time realtor in Columbus. “Paul was a compassionate person and a strong advocate for the citizens of Summit County during his time on council.
“He lived by the mantra, ‘sunlight is the best disinfectant,’ promoting accountability and transparency during his many years on the council.
“We became friends because we shared many interests, including our love of dogs. He helped shape the careers of quite a few people, including myself. I think the community owes him a great debt of gratitude for his years of service.”
Born in Roslindale, Massachusetts on Aug. 16, 1943, he was the youngest of John and Mary Rafferty Gallagher’s three children.
His family moved to Akron when he was a preschooler, where his father was an accountant at Firestone and his mother taught at West Junior High School.
Gallagher graduated from Archbishop Hoban High School in 1961 and earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in 1966.
He spent the first portion of his career as a journalist, working as an intern for the Record-Courier in Portage County and then as a reporter in Connecticut, West Virginia and Maryland, where he was later a press secretary.
He returned to Ohio to help care for his ailing mother.
He later obtained his master’s degree in administration science from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
Prior to starting at The University of Akron School of Law, Gallagher served as Tallmadge safety service director. After getting his law degree, he started a criminal defense practice.
Gallagher was also an adjunct at The University of Akron School of Law for a few years in the ‘90s, said Evans.
He was elected to Summit County Council in 1984 and served until the end of 2006.
Clair Dickinson, now of counsel with Brouse McDowell, first met Gallagher in the mid-1980s when he was hired to represent the council in a lawsuit.
“A few years later, we began serving together on council,” said Dickinson. “I remember he was at odds a lot with then County Executive Tim Davis. He started a publication called the County Watch, which he mailed out to residents.
“Paul took issues very seriously and always tried to do what he thought was right for the people of Summit County. He raised a lot of issues and questioned a lot of things, and sometimes issues and questions need to be raised.
“With Paul principles came first,” said Dickinson. “If he thought you were doing something wrong, he was not afraid to speak up, and he was not always diplomatic in those days.”
In 1992, Dickinson was elected to a term on the 9th District Court of Appeals commencing in February 1993. He later returned to council in 2003, serving with Gallagher and Thomas Teodosio.
“In 2006, the three of us ran for judge and did a lot of campaign things jointly. We were successful, with Tom and Paul being elected to the common pleas court and me retuning to the court of appeals.
“During Paul’s second term on the common pleas court, I was back in private practice and had at least one case in front of him,” said Dickinson. “He listened to both sides and gave everyone a fair hearing, which is what you want from a judge.”
“Paul was a very strong advocate for home rule,” said Hannan. “Paul felt that Summit County’s home rule charter was still in its infancy and he wanted it to grow. At the time, Paul and the other council members instructed me and our staff to visit and investigate innovative counties throughout the country. Our work resulted in a series of proposed charter amendments and ordinances that were enacted, strengthening our form of county government.
“Paul loved pets and during his time on the council and as a judge, he was a strong advocate for the humane treatment of animals.”
It was while he was on the council that he met his wife Diane Evans.
“We met at the local natatorium in Cuyahoga Falls, where we each lived,” said Evans. “I had free tickets to the Akron Symphony Orchestra because I sang in the chorus and I offered them to Paul because I was not going to use them.
“At the time, I did not know him,” she said. “I had seen him at the natatorium fitness center and recognized him from the newspaper. Instead of taking the tickets, he asked me to go with him.”
The two were married in December 1995.
During his tenure on the county council, Gallagher also joined the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office as an assistant prosecutor, working in the office from June 1991 until December 2006.
Portage County Prosecutor Victor V. Vigluicci said Gallagher was “very effective” at his job.
“He became one of our lead felony prosecutors,” said Vigluicci. “He tried some of our most serious cases.
“Paul was very cerebral,” Vigluicci said. “We used to call him the professor. He knew the law inside and out and when we had questions about case law we would turn to Paul. We knew he would make an excellent judge one day, and that’s exactly what happened.
“We hated to lose him because he was a fine assistant prosecutor, but we were happy that he got the chance to serve on the bench.”
In 2006, Gallagher was elected to the Summit County Common Pleas Court, taking the bench in 2007.
In October 2011, the general division joined hands with the Adult Probation Department, the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office and other community partners to start the first felony-level domestic violence court in the state of Ohio. Teodosio, who was serving on the bench with Gallagher at the time, said he stepped up to preside over the new program.
“I really respected Paul for being willing to take on that challenge,” said Teodosio. “He presided over some very difficult matters that dealt with trying to break the cycle of violence. It was a very important part of his career as a judge.”
Gallagher served two terms on the bench, retiring in 2018.
Toward the end of his first term, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He spent the last months of his life at Regina Health Center in Richfield.
A funeral mass was held for Gallagher on Sept. 16 at St. Mary Parish, followed by interment at Holy Cross Ceremony.
Gallagher is survived by his wife Diane Evans, sister Madeline Hebert, brothers-in-law Lee Hebert and Tom Evans, sister-in-law Margi Gallagher, many nieces and nephews and his dog and best pal Arnie.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John J. Gallagher.