John Daniel Gallivan IV was born in Kansas City, KS, on Sep 1, 1955, to Lieutenant Colonel John D. Gallivan III and Ursula Gallivan, RN.

John is survived by his wife, Veronika Gallivan, and two sisters, Kathleen and Maureen. John attended Woodson High School in Fairfax, VA, where he played the trumpet for the band. After graduation he attended the University of Virginia for one year before being appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point by Senator Harry Byrd (VA).

John entered West Point in July 1974 and was assigned to Company A-1 for his first two years and G-4 for his last two years. While in G-4, he was fondly tagged with the nickname "The Kid" and was a roommate of "The Hulk," which was certainly one of the unique combinations around. John was intelligent and had a natural curiosity about a wide range of subjects, especially business. As cadets, when the NY Times was delivered, most would read the sports pages first, while John would focus on the stock market results.

The early morning wake-ups always associated with West Point did not fit naturally into John’s preferred schedule. He slept so deeply that he needed to set a series of alarm clocks, each located progressively further away from his bed. Through it all though, John maintained his sense of humor and perspective of the cadet experience.

John was stationed in Germany in 1980 as a Platoon Leader and Shop Officer. In Nuremberg he was assigned as a Company Commander, and at that time he met the love of his life, Veronika, through a mutual friend. It took three double dates to get acquainted because she did not speak English, and John did not understand German.

Despite the language barrier, John called Veronika soon afterward to ask her out for dinner. He chose a special restaurant in her hometown that was an hour away. It was was cold and snowing, but John made it on time. She was impressed that he was willing to make such an effort to see her and speak to her in German.

John returned to the United States in 1983, and for years he and Veronika kept in touch. During that time, John graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a master’s degree in systems management. Eventually they decided to get married in 1989 with two ceremonies—one wedding in Germany with Veronika’s family and one in Fairfax, VA, with John’s family.

They lived in Silver Spring, MD, where John worked as a research engineer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). After he left active duty, he continued in the Army Reserve and earned the rank of major. John retired from the NOAA in 2003.

John loved going to exotic restaurants and trying food from many countries like Afghanistan, China, and Vietnam. John also liked to cook at home and could make his own sushi.

John loved to go sailing on the Chesapeake Bay with a friend who owned a sailboat. When John and Veronika went on vacation, being near water was an important element. Their favorite activities were scuba diving and simply walking on the beach and admiring the splendor of the ocean. They also visited Germany often and traveled to other countries to experience different cultures and lifestyles.

John had an appreciation for music so he and Veronika both enjoyed going to shows in London, Vienna, New York, and DC. They especially loved "Phantom of the Opera" and "Jesus Christ Superstar." John also played the trumpet, and Veronika has a special memory of a particular song that John played for her. Another favorite activity that John enjoyed was to stay up at night reading. He had a high degree of intellectual curiosity as evidenced by his interest in language, food, travel, and music.

John’s two mentors and heroes in life were his father, John D. Gallivan III, and grandfather, John D. Gallivan II, who was a Spanish War Veteran and the honorary marshal of the Armed Forces Day Parade in May 1958. Just like his father and grandfather, John IV had a passion to serve his country.

John was taken from us too soon and his wife and family miss him. His classmates will always remember him for his intelligence, his kind heart, his wit, and his humility.

— Steve Aldrich, classmate,
& Veronika Gallivan