My sister Barb Gallagher

 I decided to write about my sister Barb.  Today is her birthday so I figured it would be a very good time to do so.  She is eight and half years older than I am; she is only half sister which really doesn’t change things for me. She had another father and we have the same mother.  I am not going to say anything more about that part of her life because it is her story to tell not mine.

Barb is very special to me, and I want her to know because like many of us including myself she needs to know how fantastic a person she is. With our age difference I mainly known her as an adult. I only remember a few things during her teenage years as well her college years.  She is a big part of my life, and when I was four years old I was cooking eggs on the stove and my pajamas caught on fire.   She was in the same room, and yelled out to our mother who came and smothered my pajamas; than my dad than drove as fast as he could from our home in Gig Harbor to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma.  I spent about six weeks in the hospital.  I have a burnt scar on my chest, and under my right arm pit, however if Barb had not acted so quickly I may have had scar spread further possibly to my face, or I may have died as well.  Whenever our mother ever brings it up I can see on Barb’s face as though it happened yesterday. Something’s stay with you as long as you live. Personally I don’t remember it happening at all which I am told is a very good thing.

Barb grew up going to Peninsula Schools until 11^th grade where she transferred to Anne Wright School which at the time was an all girl’s school. After graduating from Anne Wright she went to college at University Oregon. Our family visited her there several times while our dad was involved in sailboat races.  After graduation her plan was to get her master’s degree at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma Washington where she met her husband Bob Gallagher. She never did finish her master’s degree.  They got married during my senior year in high school.  After living in Gig Harbor and Tacoma they moved to Port Moody, British Columbia which is near to Vancouver.  They had both son’s Ken and Connor while living in Port Moody.  Also want to wish Connor a happy birthday which is tomorrow.  I believe Connor was four years old when Bob took a job in Ottawa Ontario and they moved to a suburb in Quebec where they have lived ever since. This time of the year is really cold, and they have lots of snow unlike Gig Harbor.

Barb went back to work after Connor entered school. It was not the plan; however, Bob came down with health issues and to be sure of steady income she went to work. .  She has now worked herself into being a senior paralegal in a law firm that specializes in patents and trademarks.  Barb and Bob had a pretty good life together though health issues made it hard at times, and he died three and half years ago.  She has both Ken and Connor still very close by and still really enjoys her job. Also, she has a good social life which includes doing volunteer work. She loves Quebec and plans to continue living there after she retires in two or three years.

Again she is a very special person, and I am proud to call her my sister; Happy Birthday Barb and Connor.