Valerie Bailey, 65, of South Charlestown, NH, passed away peacefully in her home on October 11, 2019, after a nearly three-year battle with cancer.
Valerie is survived by her loving husband, Michael Gallagher, her three children, Jeremy Shand, Jamie Shand and his wife, Christee and Jessie Proulx and her husband, Todd; stepson, Joshua Gallagher and his wife, Katie; her six grandchildren, Nina Shand, Dylan Sordiff-Shand, Aurora Proulx, Stephen Proulx, Piper Proulx and Olliver Shand; and her mother, Gertrude Bailey-Byrnes, as well as her eight siblings and their respective families.
Valerie began her career in 1978 with The Student Conservation Association. She spent nearly 37 years helping to protect and preserve our National Parks and create developmental programs to help the next generation step up and protect our environment. In 2015 she struck out on her own and created Crossroads Consulting. She used her deep knowledge base of business and the non-profit world to help smaller non-profit companies succeed.
Valerie held a deep passion for everything in her life. From raising her children, to fighting for the environment, to developing ways for our youth to grow into responsible adults that can be entrusted with our world moving forward. Valerie was so many things to so many people: Mom, mentor, CEO, wife, Nana, consultant, friend, confidant just to name a few. She always managed to make each of these as important as the next but not make any of them seem less important than the others. One of the most remarkable traits Valerie possessed was her ability to bring levity and humor into any situation. From the smiles and laughter she could pull from even the angriest of grandchildren to removing tension from a conference room with a well-placed quip. Her life revolved around “we” and “us” and rarely included “I” or “me”. She was selfless and had a strength/resolve that could not be matched. She never backed down from a challenge and though she traveled the world she always kept her roots and family close to her heart. It is nearly impossible to measure her impact on the world and everyone that she came in contact with. She will be missed by so many but never forgotten.
Visiting hours will be held at the Charlestown Memorial Chapel, 34 Main Street in Charlestown on Saturday, October 26th from 11 AM to 1 PM. Following will be held at Trapshire, 1434 Bellows Falls Road in Charlestown from 1 to 5 PM. All are welcome to join us and celebrate the life of this amazing woman. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Chill Foundation (www.chill.org) or Pathfinder Outdoor Education (www.pathfinderoutdooreducation.org) would be appreciated.
The Stringer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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