L. Elaine Gallop

Lunetta Elaine Gallop August 29, 1937 — March 11, 2026 A Life of Faith and Music Lunetta “Elaine" Gallop, a woman who lived her life as a beautiful, enduring song, was Promoted to Glory on March 11, 2026. Born in Flint, Michigan, to Lunetta and Ernest Holman, Elaine’s journey truly took root when her family moved to Royal Oak in 1952. A proud 1955 graduate of Royal Oak High School, she found her spiritual home and her life’s great love at the Royal Oak Citadel Salvation Army. It was there she met Douglas Gallop; they married in 1957, beginning a sixty-year partnership built on a bedrock of love and shared faith. Elaine’s life was a testament to the idea that service and passion should go hand-in-hand. While she served for years as the meticulous bookkeeper for the Royal Oak Citadel, her soul was most visible through her music. Whether she was serving as the church pianist, singing in the Songsters, leading the children’s Singing Company, or performing with the contemporary group, The Royal Heirs, Elaine used her talents to lift the spirits of everyone around her. A woman of vibrant energy, Elaine managed a busy household of three sons. She was the quintessential "boy mom"—navigating the chaos of "Mark, Tom and Gary” by chauffeuring to church activities, summer camps, frequenting sports fields, and the occasional boys trip to the ER for stitches with grace and a sense of humor. She was an avid bowler and golfer, participating in several leagues over the years. Beyond the church walls, Elaine’s adventurous spirit truly came alive on the open road. Alongside Doug and their three sons, she cherished a family tradition spending summers camping and traveling the country with friends, and her brother Donald, his wife Marilyn, and their five children. This passion for exploration remained a cornerstone of her life through retirement, eventually leading her and Doug to trade a lifetime of Michigan winters for one final great adventure, following the sun to a new chapter in Clearwater, Florida, in 2006. Above all, Elaine’s greatest masterpiece was the family she nurtured. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Douglas (2017); her son, Mark (2024); and her great-grandson, James (2018). Her legacy of love and harmony continues through her children, Kimberlee (widow of Mark), Gary and Christina, and Thomas and Renee; her grandchildren, Devin (Christine), Chalyn, Sarah, Jordan, and Samantha; and her great-grandchildren, Grant and Elizabeth. A visitation will be held for Elaine on Saturday, March 21st from 10:00 am until the service time of 11:30 at Salvation Army Royal Oak Citadel Corps (3015 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, MI 48073). The service will be followed by the burial at Oakview Cemetery in Royal Oak.

L. Elaine Gallop

August 29, 1937 - March 11, 2026