BATON ROUGE - Lillie Gallagher, an educator and decades-long advocate for the City Park Golf Course, died Sunday. She was 88. 

Gallagher founded the first Montessori School in Baton Rouge, established the first statewide Gifted and Talented program, was the Executive Director for St. Elizabeth's non-profit adoption agency and a mother of four. 

She championed local efforts to preserve the City Park Golf Course and had a park bench dedicated to her in 2024. 

People have left flowers, signs and messages of love at her bench at the golf course. 

"Thank you, Lillie G.," one sign read. 

Her visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. with a Rosary at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, at Rabenhorst Funeral Home on Government Street, and from 9 -10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, at St. Joseph Cathedral. Funeral Mass will follow at 10 a.m.