MUKILTEO — A memorial service will be held Saturday for retired Kamiak High School principal Mike Gallagher.
A statement from Mukilteo School District spokesperson Diane Bradford this week said he died peacefully in his sleep the night of Feb. 21. He was 68.
“His death was sudden, and we are still in shock,” the letter to staff said. “He had a passion for the students and families of Mukilteo. In all, he spent over 40 years serving the education community. Mr. Gallagher’s legacy as a leader at Kamiak High School, Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center and most recently in the Human Resources Department will not be forgotten.”
Gallagher was Kamiak principal from 2008 to 2018.
“He made several attempts to retire,” Bradford said Friday. “He was helping with recruitment.”
She said Gallagher “had a special way about him.”
“Staff have shared so many stories of how Mike reached out to them and supported them in a new role or through a difficult time,” Bradford said. “His passion for education will be missed, but his warm and gentle spirit will be missed even more.”
After leaving Kamiak, Gallagher served as interim director for the Sno-Isle center and the district’s human resources department. His latest role was as a human resource specialist, recruiting workers to keep the schools staffed.
In a January Facebook post, Gallagher wrote: “While the joke amongst my colleagues is that I ‘failed’ at retirement, the fact is that I have an affinity for education and what it can do for our society. … And, in particular, I have a passion for the students and families of Mukilteo. They have represented the most cherished part of my 41 years in education.”
A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at Hillside Community Church, 24015 SE 436th Way, Enumclaw. It can be live-streamed at youtube.com/channel/UCltTReGAMRxID8PsdRGEd6Q.
Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter @reporterbrown.
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