Dr. Sherwood M. Gagliano's Obituary
Dr. Sherwood M. “Woody” Gagliano of Baton Rouge, LA passed away on Friday, July 17, 2020. He was born on December 10, 1935 in New Orleans, LA to the late James F. and Olivia (Hahn) Gagliano.
Woody is survived by his beloved wife, Betty Ann (Huxen) Gagliano, his son Mark Huxen Gagliano, his daughter-in-law Kristie Gagliano, and his granddaughter Marguerite Lucy Gagliano.
Woody grew up in New Orleans, LA and graduated from Fortier High School. He later went on to Louisiana State University to earn his Bachelor’s in Geography, a Master’s and his PhD in Physical Geography from the Department of Geography and Anthropology. Before earning his Master’s, Woody proudly served in the United States Army. In 1967, Woody founded Coastal Environments, Inc., (CEI) an archeological and applied sciences firm which he successfully ran for over 50 years. He was extremely proud of being able to grow the company’s reach from Baton Rouge, LA to offices in New Orleans, Biloxi, MS, Corpus Christi, TX, and Houston, TX. He was coined “The Father of Coastal Erosion” making a lifelong dedication to studying the coast of Louisiana; he has received numerous awards and recognition for his contributions to the state of Louisiana’s ongoing battle against coastal erosion. Together with his son, they invented and patented an artificial oyster reef device called Reef Blk. His study of River Deltas brought him and his wife Betty all over the world. Dedicated husband, father, and grandfather; he was loved and respected by many.
Due to current circumstances, funeral services are private. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the graveside services, to be held at St. Joseph Abbey Cemetery, Saint Benedict, LA on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at approximately 1:15 PM. Those in attendance must wear masks and practice social distancing. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in memory of Dr. Gagliano may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Donations may be either mailed to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or can be made at ¬ https://www.stjude.org/.
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