Diane C. Gallagher

Diane C. Gallagher of West Chester, PA.

Diane C. Gallagher, 75, of West Chester, PA and Cleveland, OH, died Sunday August 16, 2015 at Neighborhood Hospice in West Chester after a brief, but noble battle with lung cancer. 

She was predeceased by her husband Robert Wright with whom she founded Restaurant Marketing Associates in 1972.

Born February 23, 1940 in Cleveland, OH she was the daughter of the late Michael E. and Ann Cavanaugh Gallagher.

She is an alumna of Lourdes Academy and Ursaline College.

Diane’s extremely distinguished career began as a dietician at Stouffers Hotel and Restaurant Company where she rose to national director of quality, an early expression of her commitment to the superlative, and later served as assistant to its president James Stouffer. 

In 1968 “Who’s Who in America” conferred on her its “Outstanding Women in America” award.  In 1969 she joined the newly created Davre’s (now NYSE-listed Aramark) where she established their operating procedures and set the company’s quality standards for all new openings under a business model centered on fine dining restaurants in signature buildings throughout the country (Bank of America/San Fran, John Hancock/Chi., etc.). 

Her signature professional achievement came in establishing and building Restaurant Marketing Associates which she built through a blend of grace, visionary leadership and a relentless work ethic (and a long string of very durable luggage).  RMA initially flourished as a destination-restaurant and private club group in Class A building top-floor restaurants in major American cities, not least of all New York’s “The Club at the Citicorp Center.”  Each won the Travel Holiday Award from American Express, an accomplishment in which Diane took much deserved pride.  As a direct result of Diane’s laser-focus on quality, the company grew on its merits and reputation.   A restaurant client asked that RMA run operations in their NY-based national law firm, thus beginning RMA’s shift to bespoke corporate food service and customer-tailored catering through which she oversaw the food service management of Fortune 500 facilities, private clubs, law firms, publishing companies, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, executive dining rooms, multi-tenant properties and a collection of public restaurants.  

She was a long-time enthusiastic member of the Northeast River Yacht Club and maintained professional memberships in the National and Pennsylvania Restaurant Associations, National Association of Female Executives, Club Managers of America, and the Society for Hospitality and Food Management (SHFM).

Diane was the recipient of many industry and professional awards, the most recent being the President’s Award by the Society for Hospitality and Food Service Management which will be presented posthumously at the Society’s national conference in New Orleans this October.

Her devotion to quality was exceeded only by her devotion to friends, family, staff and humanity.  Though she had dialed back her work load slightly in recent years, she still worked week-ends, including her last one, in which case she was counseling a former staffer on the fine points of a new position. 

She is survived by her beloved sister, Mary Ann White (James); niece, Cheryl Daugherty (Kevin), and great-nieces Shannon Cali (Matthew) and Catherine Daugherty (fiancé Trevor Wenzell), all of Cleveland; by her devoted friend and caregiver, Patti Press, of Wilmington, DE and a legion of devoted, grateful friends and staff, to all of whom she was a true guiding beacon. 

In keeping with Diane’s wishes and temperament, services will be private. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Lung Association 527 Plymouth Road, Suite 402, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462.

Arrangements by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com.

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