Tragic misunderstanding lead to death of Key Peninsula parks director

The sudden death of Scott Gallacher, executive director of the Key Peninsula Metropolitan Park District, has left the tight-knit Peninsula community shocked and grieving.

Gallacher, 49, died last Thursday, May 1, while chasing a man he believed to be a burglar through a wooded area near Volunteer Park in Lakebay. Autopsy results are pending, but authorities say he likely died of a heart attack.

“This was an unfortunate set of events and terrible circumstances,” said Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer.

Gallacher had been with Key Pen Parks almost from the time the district was voted into existence in 2004. He helped built it from a struggling, nearly bankrupt rural system with a few scraggly acres to a thriving district with five busy parks, two forest preserves and a network of hiking and mountain-bike trails.

“I worked with Scott since the beginning,” said Chuck West, a former Peninsula School Board member. “He would call me up and ask if the parks could borrow my riding lawn mower to do some of the small parks back in the beginning. It was truly a grassroots system back then.

“If that meant that Scott had to use a shovel, then Scott would use a shovel.”

Ironically, the concession stand at Volunteer Park that Gallacher thought was being robbed was one of the first projects the new district completed.

The mishap started about 10:15 a.m. when an employee at a parks facility called Gallacher to say they believed somebody was trying to break into the concession stand.

The employee then hung up and called 911.

Gallacher went to the park.

“He thought it was a burglary,” Troyer said.

A passerby called 911 shortly after the alleged break-in to report an SUV stopped in the middle of Key Peninsula Highway NW.

The caller told dispatchers the truck’s driver, later identified as Gallacher, waved her down and asked her to call 911 before running into the woods after a man on a bicycle.

Deputies searched the woods and found Gallacher unresponsive.

Although first-responders performed CPR and other life-saving measures, Gallacher was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 35-year-old man Gallacher was chasing waited at the scene and was cooperative, according to the Sheriff’s Department. I turned out he wasn’t trying to break into the building and the incident was a misunderstanding.

“He said he knocked on the door and rattled the doorknob asking for water,” Troyer said. “They told him they were closed, so he left.”

Gallacher had worked for the Key Peninsula Metropolitan Park District since 2005.

Before that, he served as athletic coordinator for Marysville’s Parks and Recreation and recreation supervisor for Everett’s Parks and Recreation.

He is survived by his wife, Kirsten Gallacher, a daughter, Haylie, 18 a son, Caden, 16, and his parents, James Gallacher and stepmother Cyndy.

“This is a devastating loss for the whole community,” Pierce County Council member Derek Young wrote on Twitter.

“Scott was a loyal friend,” said Park Board member Kip Clinton. “He was devoted to Key Pen Parks and is the reason the Key Peninsula has the wonderful park system it has.”

Gallacher was “both a go-to and get-it-done person,” said Jeff Harris, a founder of the Key Peninsula Community Council. “Scott was one of the most creative, hard working, and successful public servants I have had the honor to know and work with in more than 40 years of working in local government.”

“This is a huge loss,” said Anne Nesbit, a volunteer battalion chief with the Key Peninsula Fire Department. “Scott’s dedication to the beauty and preservation of the Key Peninsula was contagious and inspiring. He was a huge advocate for Key Peninsula parks, open space and critical habitat.”

Gallacher was known for stretching a budget in creative ways. When retaining walls were needed at Volunteer Park, for instance, he made them do double duty as bleachers for the sports field. He got service clubs like Rotary and Kiwanis to pitch in with funding and volunteer labor. He relentlessly pursued grants and matching funds.

His signature project was Gateway Park, a 39-acre park on State Route 302 which includes restrooms, a popular playground, an off-leash dog park, a large field, access to walking, biking and horse trails, and a picnic pavilion. A second pavilion, and amphitheater and a splash pad were to be added this spring.

People who knew him used words like “driven,” and “laser-focused.”

“Anyone who worked with Scott knew he could be a challenge to work with at times., said Mark Michel, president of the park board. “Anyone who worked against Scott was in a world of hurt.”

“I’ve been on both sides,” he added. “Agree or disagree, I developed a profound respect and what I considered a deep friendship with Scott. He’s left a legacy that will outlive us all.”

Hal Wolverton of the Key Peninsula Lions Club worked on several park projects with Gallacher.

“Scott was a wonderful partner,” he said. “His commitment, passion and tireless efforts for the advancement of the Key Peninsula Parks is what truly made him larger than life. His love for the community will forever be felt by anyone who passes through the gates of our wonderful parks.”

Stacia Glenn of The News Tribune and Hugh McMillan contributed to this story.