Obituary of Melitta Augusta Gallagher

Melitta "Mickey" Augusta Hetzl Gallagher, 91, of Marbury, Maryland, formerly of Reston, Virginia, died Sunday, September 15, 2013, at the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, LaPlata, Maryland. Mickey was born March 15, 1922 in Anthering, Salzburg, Austria, to the late Alexander Hetzl and the late Therese Stecher Hetzl. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 57 years, George Merlin Gallagher, and her sister Hilde Hetzl. At the end of WWII, during the liberation of the Republic of Austria, she worked for both the British Army forces in Germany and the U.S. Army forces in Salzburg, Austria. She met her husband George at a USO Donut Social and was married in Salzburg on October 25, 1947, by the 42nd Infantry "Rainbow" Division's senior chaplain. She enjoyed sewing, needle point, and photography. She enjoyed being the Colonel's Lady, as she supported her husband in both his career and many aspects of his volunteer works, including being the unofficial photographer. She was a long-time member of Unity of Fairfax church, as well as a member of the Ladies Auxiliary Military Order Purple Heart, Arlington Memorial Chapter and the Gold Stars Wives, Potomac Chapter. She is survived by her daughter Sheron-Rose (Sheri) and husband Charlie Gould, son Dan and wife Jane, grandchildren, Leandra Gallagher, Gabriel Gallagher and wife Liz, Adam Gould, Amy Gould, great-grandchildren, Jacob, Sophia, Elijah, David, Leah, and Sarah, sister Alexandra and husband Helmut Gehweiler, sisters-in-law Lorine and husband Del Caldwell, and Betty Cox; and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (funeral service at 5:00 p.m.) on Saturday, September 21, 2013, at Adams-Green Funeral Home, 721 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia, and interment at Arlington National Cemetery.