‘She made us better parents’
says Lacey’s dad

By Kathleen Smith
For the Times

With just a month until graduation, students in the senior class at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls should be preparing for the next chapter of their lives.
But right now they have only one thing on their minds: Lacey Gallagher.
Her classmates and friends flowed by the hundreds into the Holy Name of Jesus Church in Fishtown last Wednesday, drawn to celebrate the life of the 18-year-old Little Flower student during a somber funeral Mass.
Gallagher, who died in the crash of an SUV during the early Saturday morning of April 28, was buried in Sunset Memorial Park in Feasterville.
The outpouring of love and support for Lacey, a fine student and soccer player at Little Flower, mirrored a similar turnout during a vigil held at the church on the Sunday evening after the accident.
"It was absolutely surreal," Sean Gallagher, 22, said during an interview last week, recalling the scope of the April 29 vigil.
"The fact that my sister has touched hundreds of people is the only real thing to make me remotely smile at this point. Her heart and personality were unlike any other."
It was at 2:55 a.m. on that Saturday morning when the one-car crash occurred on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in northern Bucks County.
Gallagher was a passenger in an SUV occupied by six other teens — including her boyfriend and three Little Flower classmates — and they’d attended the school’s Center City prom and were on the way to a party in the Pocono Mountains.
State police said the 2001 Suzuki XL-7 sport utility vehicle was heading north in the left lane of the turnpike when it hit a center cement barrier and spun out of control, rolling over a number of times and coming to rest on its roof in the right lane.
There is belief that the driver — whom police have not identified — may have fallen asleep.
Investigators said there were no signs of drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash, but the teens apparently were not wearing seatbelts.
Lacey was pronounced dead at the scene. Her six companions were transported to two hospitals for treatment of injuries. Among them were three of Gallagher’s senior classmates at Little Flower — Katelynn Brooks, 18, and Ashley Neitzeil and Danielle Kelly, both 17 — and Gallagher’s boyfriend, Patrick Siffler, 19.
Also injured were Sean Monaghan, a 17-year-old senior at Roman Catholic High School, and another 17-year-old male whose name state police had withheld. As the Times went to press, only Monaghan remained hospitalized, reportedly undergoing treatment for a broken back.
For Denise and Frank Gallagher, the loss of their daughter is beyond comprehension, but during an interview two days before Lacey’s services, they were emphatic about one thing. They hold nothing against anyone who was in the vehicle.
"(The other families) are dealing with this too," Denise Gallagher said, "and we are praying for every one of them."

• •

The Gallaghers think it is essential that they let the world know who Lacey Gallagher was, someone that they described as "quiet but full of life."
Throughout her life, she had interest in a number of activities and sports. Between the ages of 2 and 8, she was a dancer, and her family members recalled how Lacey "lit up the stage."
Although she played several sports over time, soccer held a special fascination. She became very good at it very quickly, playing for a number of local organizations and recreation centers, including the Philadelphia Soccer Club, Fishtown A.C., and Penn Academy.
While still in eighth grade, the youngster played soccer for Little Flower’s freshman team — and she made the school’s varsity squad while a freshman.
But Gallagher did stop playing soccer during her final year at Little Flower. She was coping with the loss of both of her grandmothers, and that sad time heightened her awareness of the importance of her own family, and how she wanted to spend more time with them.
But she also was excited about her own future. When it came time to make decisions about college, Gallagher decided she wanted soccer to be part of it. Though she had been accepted by several colleges, including Cabrini, Immaculata and Holy Family University, she settled on Chestnut Hill College, where she also would play soccer.
Gallagher’s family would love to honor her commitment to the sport. They have talked about starting some type of scholarship program to pay tribute to her.

• •

According to those who knew her best, Lacey Gallagher was a laid-back and worry-free kind of person who wanted nothing more than to look like a princess at her Little Flower senior prom. Her dress was custom made, and a tiara highlighted her royal appearance. Her family, friends and teachers all talked about her beauty.
"She had the prettiest eyes you’ve ever seen," her mother said.
Arnold Ronzoni, Gallagher’s English teacher during her freshman year, described her as a "loving and sweet person."
"No past tense," Ronzoni said. "I won’t say ‘everybody loved’ her because everyone still loves her."
Denise and Frank Gallagher recalled their daughter as somebody who was "very deep," a sensitive person who savored quotes when they truly had meaning to her, and she loved to write in her journals.
The common portrayal of Lacey Gallagher has been that of a girl with no enemies. She was quiet but she had plenty of friends from neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia, a connection established by playing soccer.
Her parents said she never got into any kind of trouble, whether at home or in school. During her time at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Grade School in Fishtown, she had perfect conduct, and nearly perfect attendance.
Upon entering Little Flower, she received the St. Therese Scholarship, a partial scholarship that is awarded to recommended students who demonstrate excellence in service and leadership, and who are working to make the most of their academic ability.
More than anything else, Lacey Gallagher loved Little Flower High School. "It is unbelievable the way she felt about Little Flower," her mother said.
Kate Forster, a religion teacher at the school, helped to host a senior retreat in March. She recalled Gallagher talking to her senior classmates about how she could remember buying her school uniform just before the start of her freshman year. Gallagher remembered how she absolutely hated it at first, and ended the story by telling her classmates, "Now I don’t want to take it off!"

• •

Since that Saturday morning tragedy, the Little Flower community has been a remarkable support system for students and Lacey Gallagher’s family.
On that Sunday night after the accident, a vigil was held at Holy Name of Jesus Church, a tribute organized by a number of Gallagher’s classmates, who were also her close friends. About 1,000 people showed up, filling the church, even flowing onto the street.
Students came in their school uniforms. Some of her teammates wore their soccer uniforms. Others showed up at the ceremony holding their prom flowers.
Many also joined in a circle outside the church and held hands while singing Little Flower’s school song.
In addition to Sean, there are two younger siblings — Brianna and Lexi — who are devastated by the loss of a sister they had looked up to so much.
"I followed Lacey around and I looked up to her in everything she did," said Brianna, 14. "I always wanted to be as great at soccer, and as pretty. She was even a good singer.
"She is the world’s greatest sister and I love her so much. I wish she was with me, and I’m always going to continue to look up to my sister Lacey," Brianna said.
Lexi, who is 12, feels an identical loss.
"Lacey was the best sister ever," she said. "She was the prettiest girl I have ever seen. My world won’t be the same without her. There were so many things that I wanted to do with her.
"She loved everyone. She always said ‘good morning,’ and she would always come into my room and say goodnight. Now she is with both of my grandmothers. I really miss her, and I just really love her."
Frank and Denise Gallagher said that they learned so many things from their daughter.
"Everybody is giving us credit," her father said. "The truth is she made us better parents."
In the aftermath of the tragedy, friends of the Gallagher family are urging people to support Pennsylvania House Bill 163. It requires teens seeking a driver’s license to practice for at least 65 hours, including no less than 10 hours of supervised nighttime driving and no less than five supervised hours of driving in inclement weather.
Since studies have shown that more teens in a car results in more diversion for a teen driver, the bill would also forbid junior drivers from having more than one passenger under 18 in the car.
The hope is that this bill will gain legislative approval and help to prevent tragedies like the one that occurred to Lacey and her friends.
Some friends even have their own name for the bill.
They call it "Lacey’s Law." ••
The Gallagher family is requesting that memorial contributions be made to the Fishtown A.C., Box 3734, Philadelphia, PA 19125.