My dad, Bob Brenno and Don Gallagher first met in the mid to late 1950’s. My dad was working for Nalley’s in Port Angeles, Don’s wife Louise had gone to high school on Vashon for one year, after her dad Floyd Barnett took over the Vashon Telephone system. Louise’s mom lived in Port Angeles and was the nurse who brought me to my mom in the Port Angeles hospital in 1958. It was not a coincidence, through the Vashon connection Edna Barnett knew my parents were there in Port Angeles. The Gallagher’s, like the Brenno’s had a daughter born in 1956, and a son, born in 1958. By 1962 my family had moved back to Vashon where my dad took over the family Shell service station. The Gallagher’s also moved to Vashon where Don began working as a lineman for his father in-law at the telephone company, later working his way up to run the company. The families, both kids and adults, would become lifelong friends.
The Gallaghers moved to SunValley in the 1980s but Don & Louise and Bob & Diane visited each other most years. Some years ago Bob and Don were together visiting and the topic of “Old Island Characters” came up. As both had been in business on the Island for years they had met and done business with most Islanders, they talked and talked about all the people they could think of that stood out over the years. When each returned home, I believe it was Don who sent this first list of Vashon WHo’s Who. Notice the “rules” at top. Sorry for the orange dots, I put them there for some reason I cannot remember, I think maybe because I wanted them to tell me stories about those people.
Here is the list Bob sent Don, Don wrote back, we forgot you and me!
These names alone could spawn thousands of comment threads, if you have a story post a comment on the vashon old pictures and stories facebook post. ENJOY THE MEMORIES