A mass of Christian burial was celebrated at St. Luke's Catholic Church in McLean on Oct. 26 for Christopher Andre Le Gallo, 33, who died on Sept. 26 while honeymooning in Australia.
Married only five days to the former Laura Jean-Koepfler, he was killed in the crash of an air taxi on Hamilton Island in Queensland while returning from a scuba diving trip. The newlyweds were traveling on two separate planes, and Laura Le Gallo’s plane had already arrived back at Lindeman Island, where the couple was staying at a resort, said a family spokesman.
“Typically for them, they split so two families of four would not have to,” said Sue Chodakewitz, a corporate vice president for Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) in Tysons Corner, where Le Gallo was employed.
“Neither of them would ever have asked a family to split. To them, it was a clear choice that they should [take separate planes],” said Chodakewitz.
A family of four, two children and two adults, from New Zealand also died in the crash, Chodakewitz said.
Born in Port Chester, N.Y., Le Gallo considered McLean his home, according to his friend Chris Gleason.
Le Gallo’s parents, Andre and Cathy Le Gallo, were members of the Foreign Service.
He attended Spring Hill Elementary School and Cooper Middle School and graduated from Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington. He received his bachelor's degree in 1992 from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and his master's in international relations from the Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels.
He was an analyst and deputy division manager SAIC in Tysons Corner. His work included military strategic and operational planning, information strategy and policy, U.S. and NATO policy toward the former Soviet Union, counterproliferation, national missile defense, cooperative threat reduction and capabilities-based programming, management and acquisition.
He worked on strategic planning for organizations in national defense both at the DOD and state level.
“The thing you hear most about Chris is his unbelievable analytical skills and his ability to translate nebulous concepts into something tangible,” said Chodakewitz.
“At only 33, he was being groomed for very senior leadership roles within SAIC.”
Richard Love, a co-worker and close friend, remembered Le Gallo as a man who was caring and protective of his friends. “He really brought out the best in everybody. People lit up when he was around,” said Love.
Love remembered Le Gallo working on a rooftop at 7 a.m., putting down shingles at a Habitat for Humanity project just five hours after one of his friends had suggested the project in a bar.
“Chris was always interested in new people and engaged in everything he could,” Love said.
It was Le Gallo who encouraged Love and his now-wife early in their relationship, Love recalled. “He knew we were meant to be before we did,” said Love.
According to family and friends, Le Gallo was an accomplished pilot, single engine and paraglider; skier, tennis player, marathoner, scuba diver and lover of the vertical dimension. He was also an avid reader.
Gleason, who had been friends with Le Gallo since early childhood, remembered his selflessness. “Chris was a true friend and will be dearly missed by those he touched. There are not many people I know who had as many friends as Chris did,” Gleason said.
Following their honeymoon, the Le Gallo couple had planned to move to a home in Falls Church.
In addition to his wife, Chris Le Gallo is survived by his sisters, Therese Le Gallo of Corte Madera, Calif., and Elise Le Gallo of California ; his parents, Andre and Cathy of San Rafael, Calif., and his grandmother, Rita Callahan, of Davis, Calif.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Christopher Le Gallo Memorial Fund, c/o David Huffman or Ann Ahmandi, c/o Bank of America, 730 15th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. The phone number is 202-624-4029.