Dr. Mannon Elihu Gallegly Jr. died Tuesday morning, January 7, 2024. He was 101 years old. Mannon was a son of the late Mannon Elihu Gallegly Sr. and Mary Baber Gallegly. He was born April 11, 1923, in Mineral Springs, Ark., a small agricultural community in Howard County, where his family farmed and picked cotton.
Dr. Gallegly received his B.S.A. from The University of Arkansas in 1945 and M.S. and Ph.D. in 1946 and 1949 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Upon completion of his M.S. in 1946, Mannon was drafted into the Army and sent to Fort Detrick, where he worked as a plant pathologist in the U.S Army Biological Warfare Lab.After the war, he returned to complete his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on bacterial diseases of tomato.
In 1949, Dr. Gallegly began working at West Virginia University, where he was currently an Emeritus Professor of Plant Pathology with >75 years of service. He served as director of the Division of Plant and Soil Sciences between 1970-1986. Dr. Gallegly has dedicated more than 70 years at WVU to developing late blight resistant tomato varieties for home gardeners across the region, including his first tomato, the West Virginia ‘63, cherished by gardeners and food aficionados for its excellent fruit quality. In 2024, Dr. Gallegly unveiled his newest variety “Mannon’s Majesty,” representing over 60 years of improvements after the release of the WV ‘63.
Among his numerous professional achievements, Mannon was a recipient of the AAAS-Campbell Award for Vegetable Research and the Public Service Award by the Monongahela Conservation District. He was elected a fellow of the American Phytopathological Society in 1971 and inducted into The West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame in 2012 and The West Virginia University Order of Vandalia in 2018. He was also a member of the Tomato Genetic Cooperative.
Mannon served as a short-term staff member at Makerere University College, in Kampala, Uganda, and he worked in Mexico on research needs of the International Potato Center.
During his time at WVU, Mannon supervised 26 M.S. and Ph.D. students and published 44 scientific papers, five book chapters and one book. He was beloved by everyone who knew him for his servant leadership style, his humor and his absolute humbleness.
Surviving Mannon are his children, Thomas Gallegly (Heidi Stewart), and Susan Ambrose; a loving and dear companion, Gay Kline; his grandchildren, Clayton Ambrose (Nurit), Michael Ambrose, Jennifer Ambrose, Katy Gallegly (Ben), Emily Zahradnick (Neil), and Lindsay Madill (Michael); as well as his nine great- grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Michael Gallegly; his wife of over 70 years, Mary Elizabeth Smith Gallegly; and his brother, Henry Lewis Gallegly.
Mannon was an active member of Wesley United Methodist Church, 503 N. High Street, Morgantown, where his Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 18, with Pastor Martha Ognibene officiating.
In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to the Mannon E. Gallegly Student Travel Fund, a fund established by the students, colleagues and friends of Dr. Mannon Gallegly, in profound gratitude for his many years of service to his profession, his career successes, and his friendship and mentoring of generations of plant pathologists.
Donations may be made at https://www.apsnet.org/members/give-awards/donate/giving/funds/Pages/Gallegly.aspx
The family would like to thank the staff at WVU Hospice and Sundale Nursing Home for the excellent care given to Mannon.
Hastings Funeral Home has been entrusted with cremation services.
Send condolences at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com
