A Life Well Lived and a Loss Worth Remembering

Judge Thomas Gallen was one of the first people I met when I came to work for The Bradenton Times in 2010. Gallen may have been small in stature, but he was a giant of a man. The judge passed away peacefully on Wednesday night at the ripe old age of 92. He lived a storybook life and leaves behind a colossal legacy.

Born in Tampa, Gallen enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. We were both paratroopers and would share complaints about how taxing low-altitude static-line jumps could be on the hips as one ages. While enlisted, Gallen became a member of the very first group of Special Forces Green Berets.

After the Army, he graduated from Florida State before earning a law degree from the University of Florida. He moved to Bradenton and married the town’s reigning beauty queen, his beloved wife of more than 60 years, Linda. Together, the couple raised four children, and the judge treasured his five grandkids, to whom he was affectionately known as Papa.

While practicing law in Bradenton, Gallen also represented the community in Tallahassee, serving as both a state representative and a senator back when both were still honorable endeavors. In fact, Gallen played a crucial role in breaking up the so-called “pork chop gang,” consisting of 20 north Florida segregationist members of his own party that had dominated Tallahassee politics the last time it was as disreputable as it is today. His stories from that time and place were filled with genuinely priceless insights. 

Gallen’s years in the capitol were during formative times for both our state and local community. The judge was instrumental in the creation of I-75, SeaPort Manatee, and even bringing the Bucs to his home city. In 1985, he was elected circuit judge. In 1998, his colleagues elected him chief judge, a position he held until his mandatory retirement in 2002. Still sharp as a tack, he continued to serve as a senior judge for another 14 years until finally giving up the gavel for good at the age of 85.

Never for a moment, however, did Gallen stop fighting the good fight. I spent some time this morning reading through his many emails to me (and cursing myself for the ones I lost or deleted). He would routinely share opinions on local, state, and national issues or call my attention to stories I was unaware of. Whenever he would call, or I would run into him at a Kiwanis luncheon, there was some important matter he was concerned with. He had the best quality you could ask for in a person, especially a judge, and that is an unquenchable thirst for justice.

Early in our friendship, the judge gave me a copy of David Halberstam’s The Powers That Be, complete with a generous inscription. I think I’ll reread it this week to ensure I didn’t miss any of the lessons he intended to impart. When it comes to being a man, a husband, a father, and a patriotic American, you couldn’t do much better than borrowing from the wisdom of Thomas Gallen. Slán leat, Judge. Your community mourns a mighty loss.

Dennis "Mitch" Maley is an editor and columnist for The Bradenton Times and the host of our weekly podcast. With over two decades of experience as a journalist, he has covered Manatee County government since 2010. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University and later served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. Click here for his bio. Mitch is also the author of three novels and a short story collection available here.