Thomas Matthew Gallen, died peacefully February 5, 2025 at his home in Bradenton, Florida. He was 92 years old.
Thomas was born in Tampa, Florida on December 28, 1932. He attended Jesuit High School and the University of Tampa. He enlisted in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper during the Korean War and became a member of the inaugural group of Special Forces Green Berets and deployed to Bad Tolz, Germany in 1953, serving until 1955. After leaving the Army he returned to school and received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida.
He moved to Bradenton in 1960 where he met Ms. Linda Pruitt, then 1960 Miss Bradenton. They married in 1962 and they had four children, Tommy Gallen, Mary Gallen and husband Blake Tuomy, Kathleen Gallen and her husband Paul Ramshaw, Michael Gallen and his wife Alexandra Gallen, and five grandchildren, Linda Gallen, Juliette Gallen, Gallen Tuomy, Will Tuomy, and Thomas Gallen.
Thomas was a law partner in Bradenton at the law firm of Miller, Gallen, Kaklis and Venable from 1960 to 1985. During this period, he also served as a member of the Florida Legislature for 12 years, first in the Florida House of Representatives, then the Florida Senate. During his legislative tenure, he tackled many important state and local issues, including championing legislation that created Manatee Port Authority, and the Tampa Sport Authority that created the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was instrumental in the creation of I-75, and worked to successfully break up the infamous “Pork Chop Gang,” a segregationist minded group of legislators. Additionally, he served as chairman of the powerful Senate Rules Committee, Judiciary - Civil Committee, and served six years on the Florida Law Revision Council.
In 1985, he was elected to the 12th Judicial Circuit as a circuit judge, where he was elected Chief Judge by his colleagues in 1998 and served in that position until his mandatory retirement in 2002. He served as a senior judge for an additional 14 years, until the age of 85.
Thomas is a recipient of the Manatee Distinguished Citizen Award, Manatee County Bar Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Kiwanis Club’s George F. Hixon Fellowship Award, Sertoma Club’s Services to Mankind Award, Jaycees Good Government Award and Key Man Award, Florida Medical Association’s Layman Award and Florida Prosecutors Association’s Outstanding Legislator Award. He is a member of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. He is a Fourth-Degree member of the Desoto Council of the Knights of Columbus, Bradenton Kiwanis Club, Manatee County Bar Association (past president), Florida Bar Association, Phi Delta Phi international legal fraternity, American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He had a deep love for sports, was a life-long Buccaneers fan, an avid reader, had a passion for handball, and lap-swimming. His main focus in life was his family - his wife, children and grandchildren, who lovingly called “papa.”
Visitation at Brown and Sons, 604 43rd St. W., Bradenton, February 13 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. with celebration of life at 6:15 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at Saints Peter & Paul the Apostles Catholic Church, 2850 75th St. W., Bradenton, February 14 at 9:30 a.m. Private burial at Fogartyville Cemetery.
In Lieu of Flowers, donations can be made to the Bradenton YMCA, 3805 59th St. W., Bradenton 34209, or the charity of your choice.
