John Champion Gallagher

May 24, 1934 – August 23, 2025

John Champion Gallagher of Quincy, California, passed away in the early morning hours of Saturday, August 23rd, 2025, at Plumas District Hospital.

John was born May 24th, 1934, to Bernard and Julia Champion Gallagher in San Jose, California. He attended Frank C. Havens School in Piedmont, joined the Cub Scouts, and then Boy Scout Troop 3, earning his Eagle Scout Badge in May of 1950.

John played football at Piedmont High School, graduating in the Class of 1952. After two years at the University of California, Berkeley, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Then, after attending the Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and sent to Germany. In Europe, in 1956 he first coached the 35th Field Artillery Group “Crimson Wave” football team to a successful 12-1 season then in 1957 was tabbed by the Group Commander to become one of the first Forward Assembly Officers putting together the newly arrived W-33 Nuclear 8 Inch Howitzer Round which became the backbone until 1993 of the U.S. Tactical Nuclear deterrent during the Cold War.

Following his honorable discharge from the Army, John continued his higher education, earning his bachelor’s degree from San Jose State and his master’s degree from Stanford University, where he served as president of the Education Council and represented all graduate students in the Stanford Legislature. While at Stanford, John was elected to the Evergreen School District Board of Trustees in San Jose, where he served as Chairman.

Gallagher next coached football for two years at the high school level (Hillsdale, San Mateo), where he developed a lifelong friendship with Dick Vermeil. John then coached football at Foothill College and Oakland City College (later called Merritt College), where in the late 1960s he coached an incredibly talented mix of foreign and American athletes on the Merritt College Thunderbird Soccer Team to two undefeated seasons. Many of these athletes went on to star at Division One Universities.

In 1970, John moved north to the newly opened Feather River College in Quincy, California, where he developed and articulated the transfer degree program in High Adventure Recreation Leadership, known today as the Outdoor Recreation Leadership Program (ORL).

John and Betty fell in love and married at a ranch ceremony in 1988 in Sierra Valley, California. For 37 years, they were each other’s constant adventure companions, sharing a love for all things outdoors. John never stopped spoiling Betty with special chocolate treats and gourmet camping meals.

Because of his wilderness experience and writings on the outdoors in several national publications, John was encouraged to run for and was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR), where he served for eight years.

One of the highlights of his life was the opportunity to serve in the field as the support person for his wife, Betty, and her CARDA search dog, Champion, an acknowledged excellent resource for wilderness, avalanche, and water search and rescue in the mountains, deserts, and backcountry of the West. After several years, John served as the Chief of Operations and later as the president of the California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA).

In 1988, John was awarded the Search and Rescue Person of the Year by the California Governor’s Office and served on the Governor’s Earthquake Task Force.

John was selected to serve on the Interagency Committee on Search and Rescue (ICSAR) as an Official Observer. The ICSAR represents all of the Federal Agencies involved in search and rescue (DOD, FEMA, CIA).

Gallagher was then named as the Chief United States Delegate to the International Commission for Alpine Rescue (ICAR), which involved him and Betty traveling to European alpine countries for meetings every October for the following eight years.

A lover of history, John served as the Noble Grand Humbug of Las Plumas Del Oro Chapter #8 of E. Clampus Vitus. John could be seen standing and cheering on his fellow Clampers each year during the Plumas County Fair Parade.

John and Betty scouted the next week’s football opponent of the Feather River College Golden Eagles Football team for seven years, travelling an average of three thousand miles a season.

In 1992, John and Betty started Gallagher’s High Adventure Camp, which hosted boys aged 8 to 14 from around the world. The camp focused on teaching outdoor recreation activities, including rock climbing, rafting, backpacking, and ropes courses. The camp also served as team building for surrounding college athletes and the Sheriff’s departments.

John continued his service to his country into his retirement from Feather River College by driving Veterans from Quincy to the Reno VA hospital.

John and Betty spent 20 years as snowbirds, traveling between their self-built and beloved home in Meadow Valley and their desert oasis in Dateland, Arizona, where they enjoyed daily hikes, swimming, biking, and time with friends.

John and his love of storytelling will be greatly missed by all. He leaves behind his wife of 37 years, Betty, and two daughters, Sheri and her husband, Walter Charlton, and Leslie & her husband, Cliff Sutton, both of Quincy. He is also survived by his granddaughter, Vienna Gallagher of New York, and six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren residing throughout the country.

A memorial ceremony will be held Saturday, September 6th, at 11:00 AM at Calvary Chapel Church, 1953 E. Main Street, Quincy, California.