Obituary - Gary William McAuliffe

Gary McAuliffe, 72, of Richmond, VA peacefully passed away after a long illness on October 25, 2024. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Henry McAuliffe and Mary Brudnak McAuliffe of Stratford CT; and brother-in-law, Bill Moss of Hyde Park NY.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Betty McAuliffe; their children, Katie (Andrew) McAuliffe of Alexandria VA, Merrily (Justin) Vance of Charleston WV, Will (Claire) McAuliffe of Mechanicsville VA, and Neal (Molly) McAuliffe of Richmond VA; and grandson, Declan McAuliffe.

He is also survived by his sister, Ann (Rick) Minton of Stratford CT; brother-in-law, Sam (Sheilia) Moss of Cumming GA; sister-in-law, Tad Moss of Hyde Park NY; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Gary McAuliffe was born on February 11, 1952, in Bridgeport, CT.

He attended Bunnell High School in Stratford, Connecticut and graduated from Washington & Lee University in 1974 with degrees in Geology and Political Science, and was a Sigma Chi. He worked for Novartis Pharmaceuticals for 40 years as a Sales and Hospital Representative and later as Federal Accounts Manager.

Gary loved music and was a longtime member of The Virginians Barbershop Chorus, where he enjoyed singing in quartets and the ensemble.

He was a long-time member of St. Mary's Catholic Church. Passionate about his Irish heritage, he was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Gary helped organize and marshal the annual Church Hill Irish Festival Parade for over 20 years and was honored as Grand Marshal in 2024.

Gary loved a good joke, his family, and traveling in his retirement. He was always active with his children by coaching teams, advising, camping, hosting their friends and driving hours just to say hi. He was never too busy to visit or visit with, and he never forgot a name or face.

The family would like to thank his companion Margaret Robinson, the staff of Commonwealth Senior Living, and James River Hospice for their compassionate care.

A gathering of friends and family will take place 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at Bliley’s, 8510 Staples Mill Road, with a Christian Wake Service following at 7:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 12:30 p.m., Thursday, November 7 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church, 9505 Gayton Road, Richmond Virginia 23229. Interment to be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Gary's name to the Henrico Humane Society or The Michael J. Fox Foundation.