Joseph Cornelius Gallagher, a former resident of East Tennessee and faithful member of the Diocese of Knoxville whose award-winning career in sports broadcasting spanned many decades, passed away peacefully on June 13, just three weeks shy of his 97th birthday.
Born on July 5, 1927, to Edward and Anna Gallagher, Mr. Gallagher was predeceased by all 10 of his siblings: Anne, Ed, Mary, Frank, Tom, Jim, Henry, Dan, Arthur, and John.
He is cherished by his family and is survived by five children, 11 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, and numerous nieces and nephews. His children are Ed (Lori), John (wife Rita, deceased in 2020), Bill (Sharon), Joe (Julie), Marie (Terence), Peter, who passed away in 2023, and Michael, who passed away in 1965.
Mr. Gallagher grew up in Riverdale, N.Y., where Manhattan College, a Catholic University located there, played a significant role in his life. Mr. Gallagher graduated from Manhattan College Prep (high school) in 1944 and Manhattan College in 1949. While in college, he served as the sports editor for the Quadrangle student newspaper as a junior and as the newspaper’s editor as a senior. His work at Manhattan College launched Mr. Gallagher into a long, distinguished career in the television sports business. He served his country in the U.S. Army from February 1946 to February 1947, training with the Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Belvoir in northern Virginia.
Mr. Gallagher’s lengthy and fascinating career in broadcasting began at WINS radio in New York in 1949, where he worked as a production assistant for Manhattan College alumnus Don Dunphy during New York Yankee broadcasts. He then worked directly for the Yankees, supporting legendary announcers Mel Allen and Red Barber. In 1954, Mr. Gallagher joined CBS Sports, focusing on TV sports production, including the Major League Baseball Game of the Week, the National Football League, and college football games.
In 1962, Mr. Gallagher was named the television producer for the expansion New York Mets baseball club, working with the renowned announcing trio of Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner, and Bob Murphy. In 1965, he moved to NBC Sports to work on MLB, National Hockey League, and NFL games of the week. During the 1970s, he worked for TVS, an independent producer of college basketball games, often teaming legendary play-by-play announcer Marv Albert with ex-Duke University coach Bucky Waters.
Mr. Gallagher also founded his own production company, broadcasting college basketball games throughout the New York metro area. His significant contributions to sports media led to his induction into the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017. He was proud of his nearly lifelong connection to Manhattan College and Jasper athletics.
Mr. Gallagher’s career later included positions with Syracuse University, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Houston Oilers. His work with ABC during the 1984 Summer Olympics earned him a national Emmy Award.
Mr. Gallagher, along with his wife, Mary, instilled a strong work ethic in their children. He believed in being a good neighbor, exercising one’s right to vote, and he supported his children’s educational pursuits. He enjoyed raising his family in Crestwood, N.Y., and coached numerous youth sports teams involving all his children.
In retirement, Mr. Gallagher spent many happy years living in East Tennessee, attending Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa, and he was active in Blount County politics, occasionally making guest appearances on local radio shows. He also worked as a media-relations assistant in the press box at Tennessee Smokies games.
Mr. Gallagher’s legacy of dedication, family, and community will be fondly remembered by all who knew him. His life and career were documented by the Manhattan Quadrangle in a 2018 editorial, as well as in the podcast “Instant Replay with Joe Gallagher,” produced and co-hosted by Mr. Gallagher’s friend, Jim Wogan.
A funeral Mass for Mr. Gallagher was celebrated in New York on Sept. 28, and burial was at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, N.Y. Monsignor Robert Kinnally, VG, of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., served as the celebrant. As a side note, Gate of Heaven is the burial place of Babe Ruth, actor Jimmy Cagney, and other notable New Yorkers.
For anyone interested in making a donation to honor Mr. Gallagher’s life, the family recommends a memorial gift to Manhattan College, Make A Gift—Manhattan College, 4513 Manhattan College Parkway, Riverdale, NY 10471.
