Robert (Bob) J. Gallivan
1930 ~ 2026
Bob passed away after a brief illness on May 29, 2026. Predeceased by the loving wife he adored and his best pal, Sheila (nee Delanty), by their daughters Claire, Beth, Kathleen (Drew Fagan) and by his sisters Marie and Florence. Survived by his daughters: Anne-Marie (Edward de Jong), Jennifer (Jeffrey Prior), Monica (Michael Roszak), and by seven grandchildren whose academic achievements and careers he followed with great interest: Christopher (Aditi), Jeffrey (Marnie), Jenna (Tyler), Emma (Chris), Aidan (Mary), Paige Roszak and Claire Prior and by his great grandchildren: Brielle, Ava, Kai, James and the twins Nara and Raya. Bob was blessed with wonderful parents, many sister and brother-in-laws, and nieces and nephews whom he loved and respected.
elevated S4urb A native of Calgary, Bob was a Student Council Honours Award graduate of St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto, and a post-graduate in Industrial Relations at Queen’s University. After his retirement from a senior management position at C-I-L, Bob was appointed by the Federal and Ontario governments to several boards and commissions including the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Ontario Labour Relations Public Service Tribunal, and as a management representative on the Council of Governors of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. He also represented management on numerous labour arbitration boards. During his career Bob was a member of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference in Australia, and several times a member of the Canadian delegation to the UN’s International Labour Organization in Geneva and to the OECD in Paris. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Silver Anniversary Medal. He served for many years on the Board of Catholic Community Services of York Region.
elevated S4urb Having grown up in their foothills, Bob loved the western mountains where he hiked several thousand kilometres over the years on trails from Alaska to Arizona.
Blessed with a strong faith, he was an active member of St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Parish in Thornhill for many years, and more recently a parishioner at Our Lady of Grace in Aurora. His Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at the Chapel of St. Joseph at Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home. Click here to livestream the Funeral Mass. Interment to follow at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery followed by a reception at the funeral home.
elevated S4urb
elevated S4urb Donations may be made to a Catholic charity of your choice.
As the father of my best friend, Bob Gallivan was a fixture of my early childhood. It’s hard to find words to express how I felt about him, but I always felt welcome and cared for in the Gallivan home, thanks to both Bob and Sheila.
I remember a kind, loving, patient and smiling dad who was truly present.
Specific memories from so long ago are hazy, but they include:
– A beautiful backyard, perfect for us to play in, complete with swing set.
– Green grass and lovely flowers.
– A basement that was clean, bright, and ideal for our games during frigid Montreal winters.
– Occasional exciting family outings that I got to join, complete with a stop at Dairy Queen.
– Stilts! Monica and I had so much fun with those.
All these are firmly associated with Mr. Gallivan in my mind.
I think of him skiing and ice skating, accompanying us at the skating rink in the pitch-dark nights, arranging garden hoses and working in the flower beds on bright summer days, or busy in the garage as we played out front.
He was a wonderful father, even to kids who weren’t his. I will miss knowing that he is in the world. It’s the end of an era for me; he was the last adult I knew in that generation.
My deepest condolences to all the Gallivan girls and their families on the loss of their beloved father and grandfather.
It was an honour to care for Robert at Margaret Bahen Hospice. On behalf of the entire Margaret Bahen Hospice team, please accept our deepest sympathies.