Gayle Gallaher

Gayle Layton Gallaher, 63, passed away Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, from her battle with brain cancer.She will be greatly missed, but will be remembered as a devoted wife, proud and loving mother, supporter of education and her church, and a strong and independent woman.She was born to the late Carl and Marjorie Layton, March 26, 1949, in Swainsboro, Ga., Gayle received her B.S.Ed. from Georgia Southern University and received her M.Ed., Ed.S., and Ph.D. fom the University of Georgia.She married Rick Gallaher in 1974, her sweetheart since the 4th grade. They lived in Athens, Ga., before relocating to Signal Mountain, in 1987.Gayle worked in Georgia public school systems as a teacher and counselor before she retired as a middle school principal in 2000. She then worked as a director and professor for Lee University in Cleveland, TN until 2010. Until earlier this year, Gayle helped at Signal Mountain Pharmacy, the business she owned with her husband.Gayle was an active member of Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church and the church's Circle of Prayer group. She loved to travel, especially to Italy, with her husband, children, and other family and friends.Gayle is survived by Rick, her husband of 38 years; two daughters, Kathryn (Jerry) Campbell and Mollie Gallaher, all of Chattanooga; and three sisters, Jeanelle (Nick) Brown, of Big Canoe, Ga., Janice (Duane) Hall, of Ellijay, Ga., and Nancy Lundstrom. of Atlanta.A memorial service will be held at Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012, after which the family will receive friends at the church.In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church for The Outreach Foundation.Arrangements by the South Crest Chapel of Lane Funeral Home and Crematory located at the end of Historic Missionary Ridge, Rossville.