John W. Gallivan obit

John Gallivan Obituary

 

He was not on the list.

John William Gallivan

A Gentle Irish Man

John W. Gallivan, former Chairman of Kearns Corporation, Publisher Emeritus of The Salt Lake Tribune and Cable TV pioneer died at home in Snyderville, Utah of causes incident to age on October 2, 2012. He was 97.

Jack was born June 28, 1915 in Salt Lake City to Frances Wilson Gallivan and Daniel J. Gallivan who lived in Park City. His mother died when he was five years old and he was raised by his mother's half sister, Jennie Judge Kearns in Salt Lake, and then by her cousin Katherine Driscoll in Oakland and Berkeley, CA. He was a graduate of Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose and, in 1937, the University of Notre Dame. He decided to marry Grace Mary Ivers after pushing her into the fountain at the Kearns residence during his fifth birthday party. Grace Mary died in 2000, just before their 62nd wedding anniversary. They had four children: Grace Mary (Ned) McDonough, John W. Gallivan, Jr. (Stephanie Selbert), Michael D. Gallivan (Sharee Jack) all of Salt Lake City, and Timothy Gallivan (Pamela Kray) of New York City. Grandchildren include Ted, Grace Anne and Michael (Renon Warner) McDonough; Amy (Dru) Damico, J.W. Gallivan III who died in 2004 and Katherine Gallivan; and Molly, Duffy and Meghan Gallivan. The fourth generation now includes Daniel, John William & Henry Damico. Preceding him in death were his two sisters, Marian Dunne (Bert) and Jane Gallivan. He leaves many nieces and nephews who live mostly in the Bay Area.

For ten years, the late Ali Mozaffari was the family's dear friend and treasured assistant to Mr. Gallivan. In this last year, Mark Edwards' devotion to Jack has been extraordinary as caregiver, friend and constant companion.

When The Gallivan Center was named in his honor, Mayor Deedee Corradini described Jack best: "For seven decades, Jack Gallivan has been our community's conscience, cheerleader, visionary, perspective, common sense counselor, humorist and friend." Here's why:

Jack was part of The Salt Lake Tribune for 60 years starting in 1937. He was at the helm from 1960 through the 1997 merger with TCI, as Publisher then Publisher Emeritus and Chairman of Kearns Tribune - nearly 40 years of steering the institution whose simple creed under his guidance was to champion the Utah Community.

He has been called the father of the Salt Palace, leading the 1965 campaign that secured the location for the convention center and provided funding for construction. He chaired the planning and construction committee of the Bicentennial Arts Complex that was responsible for the construction of Symphony Hall, The Salt Lake Arts Center and the restoration of the Capital Theater - all of which were so vital to the growth and quality of life in our city.

Jack pioneered broadcast in Utah and cable television throughout American. He played a founding role in KALL and KUTV. He was co-founder and Director of Telecommunications Inc., which became the world's largest cable TV company. He started the cable business riding the bus on interminable weekend trips to Elko, NV to oversee the installation of a microwave system that would bring cable signals to all of northern Nevada. He eventually merged these Kearns-Tribune systems with Bob Magness' Western Microwave Inc., the combination of which grew to become TCI.

Jack spent a lifetime promoting non-partisan public issues that have shaped modern Utah. Some were more successful than others, but all were at the heart of progress in our state: Urban Renewal, City-County Consolidation, Mayor-Council City Government, the Central Utah Project, Downtown Beautification, Liquor-by-the-drink, Light-Rail, the Zoo, Arts & Parks tax referendum. Nationally, he led the successful effort to pass the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970, which preserved competing editorial voices in communities where one newspaper was dominant.

He personally interceded with President Kennedy for help in acquiring the first area redevelopment loan from the federal government that built the Park City Ski Resort. In 1966 Governor Rampton, Salt Lake Chamber Exec Max Rich and Jack started Utah's pursuit of the Olympic Winter Games, and Jack championed the effort all the way through the award of the 2002 Bid.

Jack was named "Giant in Our City" by the Chamber of Commerce in 1981. He was Chairman of the National Citizens Conference on State Legislatures, President of the Utah Symphony, Lifetime-Honorary-Director of the Salt Lake Chamber and elected to the David Eccles School of Business Hall of Fame. He was a member of The Alta Club, The Country Club and The Bohemian Club of San Francisco.

Notre Dame is his alma mater, but he was equally devoted to the University of Utah, who named him an Honorary Alumnus, and Westminster College where he was a Trustee. Both Utah & Westminster bestowed on him honorary doctorates. He was similarly honored by Southern Utah State University and BYU. He was co-founder of the original "Bleacher Utes" that blossomed into the present day Crimson Club. For more than 10 years he was chairman of the board of University Hospital and a founder of the Hospital Foundation. In recognition of his Notre Dame roots, his name adorns the University's John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics & Democracy in the American Studies Department.

Back in Salt Lake City, Jack was a co-organizer of the original Downtown Planning Association and the city's Second Century Plan. His vision inspired the wonderful downtown city plaza that now bears his name. He was chairman of both major restoration campaigns for the Cathedral of the Madeleine. He was made a knight of the Order of St. Gregory by Pope John Paul II - the highest honor for a layman in his own Roman Catholic Church.

Perhaps his most ambitious crusade - The Crusade for the Homeless - seeks to end chronic homelessness in Utah. Nearly 700 apartments devoted to that cause have been built in Salt Lake County because of the unique private-public partnerships he and director Vaughn McDonald inspired. The Jack Gallivan Endowment for Homeless Housing now resides at The Road Home.

His lifelong mission was to take care of people - in his community, his business, his friends and extended family. His beloved Pig Farm in Snyderville was built as a gathering place for all of his loved ones. He was a gentle Irish man. He had a prodigious memory, was quick to mirth, poetry and song.

Jack once said this of a friend, but it says most about himself: He lived the Golden Rule. He loved mankind unconditionally, not because he considered it an obligation. Love of neighbor was part of being himself, as natural to him as the beat of his own great heart.

A vigil service will be held Friday, October 5, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, 331 East South Temple. Friends may call from 7-to-8:30 p.m. The funeral mass will be celebrated Saturday, October 6th at 11:00 a.m. at The Cathedral of the Madeleine. Committal follows immediately at Mount Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to The Jack Gallivan Endowment for the Homeless at The Road Home. Funeral directors, Neil O'Donnell and Sons.