Louise V. (Hall) Gallagher, 82, of Wakefield, died peacefully on Feb. 15, surrounded by family. Louise was born in Newton Junction, N.H. in 1930, and her parents were Fred K. Hall, Sr. of Hampstead, N.H. and Vera A. Cox of Haverhill. In 1937, the Hall family moved from Merrimac to Lawrence, where Louise grew up, and later attended Lawrence High School.

In 1947, Louise married Harry Dispensa of Lawrence, and had one son, Dennis, who died at 7 weeks of age. She later married her true love in 1950, James R. (Bob) Gallagher, a celebrated veteran of WWII, in Haverhill. Her beloved husband Bob passed away in 2000.

Throughout her life, Louise was fun-loving, enjoyed baking, entertaining, and throwing impromptu parties, as well as attending events and celebrations. Always quick to smile, Louise wore a twinkle in her big blue eyes. She put a lot of spirit into decorating the house inside and out for every holiday of the year.

Being very fond of music, particularly big bands, Louise was an excellent dancer, as was her husband Bob. Together they won jitterbug contests in the 1950s. Louise was also very adept at solving puzzles and games, and recently enjoyed the challenge of Sudoku.

Louise worked many years at Western Electric, later known as AT&T, retiring from the telephone company in 1989. She and Bob lived briefly in Florida and California, then returned to Haverhill, where they lived for several years.

Upon retiring, they moved to Wareham on Cape Cod, where Louise enjoyed the mild weather, gardening, and wildlife. Over the years, she cared for many cats, both feral and domestic, all of which she cherished. For the last several years, Louise has been living in Wakefield, with her sister Gloria and niece Belinda.

She is survived by brother Fred K. Hall, Jr., of Plaistow N.H., sister Gloria (Hall) Souza of Wakefield, nieces Belinda L. Souza of Wakefield, Linda Hall Flagg of Warren, N.H., Juli A. (Hall) Noury of Stratham, N.H., nephews Richard Souza, Jr. of Rollinsford, N.H., and Kevin M. Souza of Amesbury.

A memorial service will be held at Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Highway (Rt. 28), Wareham, on Saturday, Feb. 23, at 11 a.m., followed by interment at the Agawam Cemetery.

Visiting hours will be Friday, Feb. 22, from 2 to 4 p.m., and 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.

Donations in Louise’s memory may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Visit http://www.stjude.org for additional donation information.