Neal Thomas Galligan passed away peacefully with his wife by his side on Oct. 1, 2024. He was 73 years old.
Neal was born on Nov. 13, 1950, in New Bedford. Neal first picked up a hammer when he was 12 years old, helping his father build the family home. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, and upon his return, went into the construction business.
He spent occasional weekends fishing on Martha’s Vineyard, and in 1976 he moved to the Island, where he met his wife, Brenda, and started a family. Neal continued working in construction, joining partners Joseph Chapman and Jamie Doyle, and becoming president of Doyle Construction in 1988. His passion for craftsmanship and attention to detail allowed him to take part in building many complex architect-designed homes on the Vineyard.
Neal approached projects with inspiration; from building legacy homes to constructing a garden shed or chicken coop, the finished product always exceeded expectations. For Neal, his great project was the Corbin-Norton home in Oak Bluffs, which he restored in 1991, and then rebuilt after a devastating fire in 2001. He admired the owner’s passion for preservation, and appreciated working on the fine details in recreating the historic home.
While Neal took great pride in his work, family was everything to him. Neal and Brenda raised three children, each of whom moved back to the Vineyard to raise their own families. Neal loved having his grandchildren nearby, extended family, nieces and nephews, spending many weekends hosting family gatherings, afternoon picnics on the beach, or taking his little boat across Tisbury Great Pond.
Neal enjoyed coaching baseball when his kids were young, and was active in the recovery community on the Island. Neal loved quahogging, scuba-diving, golfing, and music. He loved his friends, his crew, and his clients. He loved to reminisce and tell stories, and he loved to laugh. His laugh was infectious and sincere, often bringing tears to his eyes. He loved to travel. He loved meeting and learning about new people. Above all else, he loved his wife of 45 years, Brenda. They were best friends and partners in all things.
Neal is survived by his wife, Brenda Galligan; his children, Amy (Asil) Cash, Paul (Emily) Galligan, and Kevin Galligan (Chloe Loftfield); his sisters, Jane (Joe) Thomas, Karen (Greg) Kamon, and Christine (Frank) Avila; his brother Stephen (Wendy) Galligan; his grandchildren, Aiden Galligan, Ever Galligan, Harper Cash, and Jozy Cash; his Island relations, Beverly and Michael Mazza; and by many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held on Oct. 26, from 1 to 4pm, at the Galligan family home in West Tisbury. Please reach out for details to amycashmv@gmail.com. Donations can be made in Neal’s name to Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living, P.O. Box 1729, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568; or to Hospice and Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard, 455 State Road, PMB 244, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.
Loved you Father, Husband. I could listen to him for hours. Felt like family to me. Will miss you Neal. I know that you are up in heaven watching over your your beautiful family. R.I.P. Dearest Neal.
♥️🙏🏻😇🎚️🌹🕊️
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