TOP CHARACTER STRENGTH

LOVE

United States Army Captain John Gaffaney was a man of huge character that was reflected in all facets of his life but his character strength of Love was very prominent especially in regards to his family. John put a lot of value on his personal relationships, particularly with his family and close friends. He was always trying to find ways to show his love and make his loved ones feel special. On the first Valentine’s Day as a married man, John wanted to do something special for his wife, Christine, who just had foot surgery. Although, John was not a cook he took the time to make Christine heart-shaped hamburgers. It meant so much to Christine that John took the time to try and cook and make something so special for her that it became a tradition for the two of them. John was willing to try something he was not skilled in to make sure that his wife had a special holiday because of the value he put into their relationship. 

John Paul Gaffaney was the kindest man on earth. After a few years in college, he joined the Navy and became a Psych Technician. There he met his wife and they were married in 1976. In 1978 after getting out of the Navy the couple moved to San Diego and in 1979 they had a son. John joined the Army National Guard sometime soon after and spent 20+ years in while working full time, raising a family and going to school. He received a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and a few years later finished a Nursing degree. His civilian job was that of a Supervisor for Adult Protective services where he and his team help the disabled adults and elderly who suffered from financial, mental and emotional abuse. He loved his job and was admired by his staff and coworkers. After the events of 9/11, John set out on a mission to get back into the military to help our country with a cause he thought was very important, combating terrorism. He picked the Army Reserves because he wanted to use his degrees to the best of his ability to achieve his mission. He spent several years with his new Reserve Unit and then the day came when they were called to duty. His unit and several other were getting deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. He was ready. On November 5, 2009, while at the processing in Ft. Hood Texas Johns mission came to an end.