On Sunday May 10th, Gary Dean Gallant was called home to heaven after a 13-year long battle with cancer.

Gary was born on October 31st, 1948 to Dean and Joyce Gallant of Brainerd, MN. He is survived by his siblings, Robbi (Joanne) Gallant and Merri Jo Gallant; his in-laws, Ron (Diane) Meyer and Nancy (Bob) Wittman; his children, Brent (Diala) Gallant, Nikkohl Gallant, Drew (Ashley) Gallant, and Kirk (Heather) Gallant; his grandchildren, Estela, Sofia, Hunter, Carson, Clara, Nolan, Gabriella, and Sebastian; as well as many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his beloved friend and support cat, Ceaser.

Gary lived a full and well-traveled life. He grew up in Brainerd, MN and graduated college from the University of MN. He met the love of his life Claire (Meyer) Gallant while working at Camp Confidence. Gary was fluent in sign language and used this skill to bring the joy of camp to many disabled children. Though his careers varied over the years he enjoyed telling tales of when he worked on the railroad setting dynamite and placing tracks. When he moved to Wisconsin in the late 70’s he took a position with Federal Express and worked his way up to Operational Manager. He retired from Federal Express after 30 years of employment.

Gary loved to travel and recounted in his youth how once when traveling across county on his Norton motorcycle he ended up being accompanied for quite a distance by an outlaw motorcycle gang. With his wife Claire, they traveled all over the US, including Hawaii. They took several trips to Germany, and went on cruises to the Bahamas and the European Coast.

In addition to traveling, Gary greatly enjoyed his hobbies of turkey, waterfowl, and deer hunting. His passion has been passed on to his sons whom he loved to share the experiences with. Gary was also known as a Mr. fix it and spent many hours assisting his children with their home repairs and teaching them how to do it themselves.

Gary was a devoted grandfather who attended as many activities of his grandchildren as he could.

A funeral visitation will be held for Gary from 9-11 AM on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church, 473 7th St, Menasha, WI 54952 with a livestreamed funeral service to follow at 11 AM, which can be viewed below.  Gary will be laid to rest with his wife at Highland Memorial Park in Appleton, WI following the service.  

Gary leaves behind a legacy of love and adventure. It is in this spirit, we his family ask in lieu of flowers a donation be made to one of the several conservation programs he supported.

Heckrodt Nature Center: https://heckrodtnaturecenter.org/support/donate/

Ducks Unlimited: https://www.ducks.org/

Pheasants Forever: https://www.pheasantsforever.org/