Kevin Powers was in his first years with the Geneva Fire Department’s Nester Hose Company when he would see a teenage Bill Gallagher and his younger brother, Dan, at fire scenes.
“Before Bill and Dan were old enough to join, their father (Bill Sr.), who was a member of the Nester Hose, always took them to the fire scene,” Powers recalled. “I remember them standing on the curb and watching things. Those guys got into the fire department the minute they turned 18.”
For Bill Gallagher Jr., it began a 44-year membership with the GFD and Nester Hose that ended earlier this month, when he died at the age of 62. The loss of Gallagher, who also had a sterling 40-career with the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, will likely be felt by both organizations for quite some time.
“I’m still numb thinking about it,” said longtime Sheriff Phil Povero, who retired last year. “Bill was taken from us much too soon.”
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