William M. Gallagher, a World War II Navy Veteran who became City Prosecutor and later Superior Court Judge, passed away peacefully on November 16, 2013.

A native of Bozeman, Montana, he came to Sacramento when he was six years old. He was a graduate of Christian Brothers School, St. Mary's College, and the Hastings School of Law at the University of California.

Judge Gallagher was appointed to the Municipal Court by Governor Edmond G. Brown in 1961 and then ran for the Office of Superior Court in 1965. He was involved in some high profile cases, which include the 1971 Welfare Reform Act and the 1964 Proposition 14, that amended the California state constitution, nullifying the Rumford Fair Housing Act and it later went to the Supreme Court.

He retired from the Bench in 1980 and went on to be a Partner at the Law Offices of Hefner, Stark and Marois. In 1992, he was called out of retirement, along with several others, due to the fact that there were so many court cases and not enough Judges. He then retired a second time in 2008 at the age of 88.

He is preceded in death by his wife Betty of 56 years, and survived by children, Kathleen Gallagher of San Francisco, Ca, Michael Gallagher (wife Linda), of Ripon, CA, and Maggie Gallagher of Sacramento, CA.

Funeral Services will be held at Gormley & Sons Chapel on Friday, November 22, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. followed by Burial Services at St. Mary's Cemetery. Reception will be held at the Dante Club on Fair Oaks Blvd.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to the American Heart Association in honor of William M. Gallagher.