David Galloway spent his life fighting for the disenfranchised and telling the stories of those he loved.
Galloway, 65, died Oct. 11, but his legacy will live on for decades to come.
He was born in Jamestown, New York to Bruce and Miriam Galloway and has lived in Plant City since 1959. The roots he spread have reached nearly every family in town. Galloway was a former city commissioner, a prominent lawyer and a member of committees ranging from the Kiwanis Club to the United Food Bank.
“David was a pillar in the community,” Billy Keel, a family friend, said. “He’s the guy that everyone
knew in town, the guy that always brought a smile to your face. He’ll be sorely missed. Everybody has a David story.”
Galloway was an avid fan of sports. In his youth he was a Little Leaguer, a Boy Scout and a member of the Plant City swim team. As an adult, he took every opportunity to fish and play golf and never missed a Gators game.
Galloway’s love for Gators football is legendary. In fact, his wife, Lisa Galloway, said she made sure his service was held on a bye week for the Gators because he hated when people scheduled things during football games.
The University of Florida was more than simply an alma mater for Galloway. When he was in high school he attended a week-long conference sponsored by UF’s College of Journalism. He was sitting in an auditorium when he heard a voice behind him say, “I wish I had a piece of Juicy Fruit gum.”
Without turning around he handed a stick back to a 16-year-old girl named Lisa, who he thought was “way out of his league.” Little did he know the stranger from Vero Beach sitting behind him would one day be his wife.
The two bonded over their love of grammar and for years would edit the newspaper and see how many errors they could find. He found delight in many things, but she said one of his greatest joys was undoubtedly his career. Helping people was his life’s calling and she said he was always happiest when he was aiding someone else.
“He was one of those guys that did a lot of things people will know about,” Lisa Galloway said. “All the qualities in a human being we all hope to have he exemplified. He loved his family and I know 25 years from now people will know who he was. He was larger than life.”
His legacy lies in the many deep and lasting relationships he established throughout the community, Lisa Galloway said. She said he cherished every second he had with his children, Jesse Galloway and Kaitlin Kennedy, and genuinely cared for all of his friends, regardless of if he’d known them since birth or had met them last week.
His sister, Ginny McLeod, said her brother was always quick-witted and the source of fun, though often embellished, stories. She said David was always a “big ole teddy bear” that was never hesitant to show affection to those who loved, a trait she said you don’t often see.
“He was never a tepid person, he was always 100% in whatever he thought or did,” McLeod said. “He always treated people with respect and followed the Golden Rule. Everyone loved him a lot and that’s evident in the amount of people that have been in and out of the house paying their respects. Our fridge is overflowing with the food everyone has brought.”
One of Galloway’s closest friends was Randy Larson. The duo served on the city commission together and were both members of the Plant City Gourmet and Viniculture Society, which held monthly dinners to benefit charity organizations.
Larson said Galloway was astute, detail-oriented and larger than life. He said as a lawyer, Galloway never fought for his side, but rather for what was right and just. Larson said he had a secret soft spot in his heart for single moms and children and would go out of his way to work for them at his firm.
Ironically, the two were born in the same hospital a few years apart and were from the same farm belt region of New York. His principled nature and adventurous spirit made the two fast friends, though their first meeting was far from picturesque.
Larson first met Galloway at a men’s group meeting. The group went to lunch and both Larson and Galloway were dressed to the nines for meetings they had directly after. Larson reached for a ketchup bottle and the cap was on incorrectly, spraying both himself and Galloway with streams of the red condiment.
Larson said they both looked at each other with wide eyes and had to simply go to their meetings covered in stains. That story was retold dozens of times over the years and Larson said it never failed to make the two of them laugh.
While on the city commission, Galloway also met Marsha Passmore. She said working with him allowed her to see past his serious persona to the genuine and loving soul that cared deeply about his city.
“I think that so many things that make Plant City unique is because of the qualities a man like him had,” Passmore said. “He didn’t need all the pomp and circumstance to get the job done. If he was present things would get done easier.”
His straightforward nature is a quality Larson said made him respected by everyone he came in contact with.
“He had a deep love for this community,” Larson said. “He only served one term on the city commission, but he never lost his love of the community. He was very concerned about the infrastructure and the roads. Everything he did was about preparing this city for years to come.”