Jim was born on May 7th, 1945 in Seattle, Washington while his father was serving in the US Navy during WW II. His mother told him that there was dancing and drinking the day he was born, because victory in Europe had been declared. He was educated in Kearney, McCook and York Public Schools. He graduated from Kearney High School in 1963 where he was elected President of the student body. He attended Kearney State College from 1963-1965 where he served as President of the Young Republicans. He lived at home while attending Kearney State College. He worked at the Fort Kearney Hotel as a cook. He transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1965 and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1967 with a major in Political Science and a minor in History. In the summer of 1967, he worked for Congressman David Martin in Washington DC. He then attended one year of law school at the University of Nebraska Lincoln from 1967 to 1968 and was drafted into the US Army in 1968. He was stationed at Fort Sheridan, Illinois until his deployment to Vietnam in 1970. Jim returned to Law School in 1970, graduating in December of 1971 and passing the Nebraska Bar in 1972.
He married Annetta Olson on June 30th, 1973 at Salem Lutheran Church, Saint Edward Nebraska. He joined H.E. Hurt Jr. in Scribner, becoming a partner in Hurt and Gallant. In 1990 when H.E. Hurt Jr. retired, he became sole owner of Gallant Law Office until 2016 when he sold the law business to Will Minich and Kendell Minich.
He was a member of 1st Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Scribner where he was a moderator, on Church Council, sang in the choir and taught Sunday School. He was a member of the Lallman-Legge Yoga Club of Fremont. Jim served on the Board of Directors of the Low Income Ministries of Fremont, a member of the Scribner Jaycees, Scribner Community Foundation, Scribner Chamber of Commerce, Hooper Commercial Club, Scribner Improvement and Industrial Corporation, Post 8439 Snyder Nebraska Veterans of Foreign Wars, Commander of Post 121 Scribner American Legion, Dodge County Commander of American Legion, Scribner Lodge 132 of Ancient free and accepted Masons, Scottish Rite Valley of Omaha, Tangier Shrine, Friendship Chapter 122 of Order of the Eastern Star of Hooper, Nebraska, and life member of Nebraska Alumni Association.
His grandchildren asked him what his philosophy of life was, he responded “that he was a Christian and a Franklin D. Roosevelt Democrat.”
He enjoyed his garden, Nebraska football and traveling; visiting all of the existing presidential libraries and museums, all of the graves of the deceased 45 presidents, 60 presidential homes, and many Civil War sites.
Predeceased are father and mother, Neal & Jean Gallant, brother Douglas Gallant and father-in-law Clifford Olson.
Survived by wife Annetta Olson Gallant, daughter Victoria Kohout (Joe) and Elizabeth McDonald (Daniel); grandchildren Jackson Kohout, Harrison Kohout, Caroline McDonald, Hudson McDonald and Natalie McDonald.
He donated his body to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Graveside services at Greenwood Cemetery, York, Nebraska will be held at a later date. Memorials are suggested to the University of Nebraska College of Law, Masonic Eastern Star Home for Children, Fremont, Scribner Area Foundation, and the Care Corps’ Lifehouse in Fremont.
He requested no funeral service.
Jim Gallant wrote his own obituary during the COVID pandemic.