Chester Gallegly; Father of GOP Congressman

Chester Gallegly, retired custodian and father of Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), died late Sunday after a long illness. He was 92.

Born Oct. 12, 1906, in rural Arkansas, Gallegly was one of 10 children raised on a small cotton and bean farm.

As a young man, he left Arkansas and moved to Oklahoma until drought and economic hardships forced him and his wife, Della, west to California in 1943.

They settled in the eastern Los Angeles neighborhood of Huntington Park, where Gallegly began working as a custodian for the Norris Thermidor Co. until his retirement several decades later.

They raised three children and lived in a number of rented homes until relocating to Simi Valley in 1974, where he cultivated cantaloupes, corn and beans.

He lived there until his wife’s death in 1987 and then moved to an Orange County retirement home.

Though he had only a fifth-grade education and no formal musical training, Gallegly was known for his keen talent. When he was 7, he crafted a violin from an old cigar box and had the ability to play just about any stringed instrument.

In Arkansas he was a favorite among square dancers who often asked him to play for weekend fetes.

Although he was a lifelong Democrat, his Republican son Elton said the two rarely had philosophical differences.

“He was an FDR Democrat, and they’re much different from the Democrats of today,” Elton Gallegly said. “He believed in government helping people who couldn’t help themselves, but not those who could.”

Gallegly always took a keen interest in his son’s political career. However, the two didn’t discuss the President Clinton impeachment hearings and vote, beyond the historic gravity of the decision.

“He understood how difficult and terrible this whole situation was,” the younger Gallegly said.

He added that his father will be remembered for his friendliness, his dedication to family and for being a great walker--he never owned a car.

“I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like him,” the congressman said. “Even though these kinds of things are never easy, he led a wonderful life. . . . I only hope that we are all so lucky.”

In addition to his congressman son, a Simi Valley resident, Gallegly is survived by son Allen of Anaheim, daughter Elaine of Glen Falls, N.Y., and six grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Rose Hills Mortuary in Whittier.