For John G. Gallup, a better Western Massachusetts was always the goal (Editorial) Updated Mar 07, 2021; Posted Mar 07, 2021 David Starr, the late publisher of The Republican, who died in 2019, and John Gallup, who passed away Tuesday, March 2 were among the charter trustees of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. Facebook Share Merriam-Webster defines a philanthropist as “one who makes an active effort to promote human welfare.” John G. Gallup, who died this week at the age of 93, was actively involved in bettering life in Western Massachusetts right up until his final days. It was a path he had followed for many decades in ways which still reverberate all across our region.