Peggy and John Gallo were introduced in classic rom-com fashion—a blind date in August 1994, arranged by friends Jim and Jennifer Langan. “John knew about the setup,” Peggy laughs. “They didn’t tell me—but he accidentally slipped a couple of months later!” The rest, as they say, is history.

 

Originally from New Jersey, the couple raised their blended family in Charlotte, where Carson Lee and Cade were born. Their eldest daughter, Jackie Thompson, lives in Raleigh with her husband John and works at First Citizens Bank as Director of Enterprise Risk Management. Carson Lee, a former gymnast and volleyball player, is now a Clinical Research Associate with MedPace and is preparing for a big move to Austin, TX this July. Their son Cade, a senior at Indiana University, formerly played football and rugby. He is double majoring in Sports Marketing and Management and minoring in Finance at the Kelley Business School. “We’re excited to see where Cade lands next,” says Peggy. “It’s going to be a big year!”

 

Professionally, Peggy is a Realtor with Helen Adams Realty and a well-known face around BCC, where she serves on the Women’s Golf Association Board and runs the BCC neighborhood Facebook page. John—who retired from a career in compliance, treasury and high yield capital markets with Ally and Bank of America—has also served on the BCC’s Greens Committee. Together, they’re regulars at community social events and can often be found relaxing poolside, cooking family dinners or catching a Seinfeld rerun. John, Peggy and Cade are all big golfers and pickleball players.

 

The family’s favorite holiday is Thanksgiving when they all get together and cook the family feast. Everyone cooks and Cade and Jackie make their signature chess pie for dessert. John is known for his cooking skills, and besides making the family meals, their friends never miss one of his invites to dinner! When dining out, they favor Osteria Luca in Park Road Shopping Center.

 

The family shares a love of sports (rooting for a mix of New York teams as well as college teams, especially UNC and Indiana University), traveling and spending quality time together. A summer tradition since 1996 has been their annual trip to Hilton Head, which continues strong to this day. And just this past spring, they took a memorable trip (that included Carson Lee’s boyfriend, Bryson Balash) to Italy, visiting Lake Como, Florence, Positano and Rome.

 

With Bryson’s shih tzu Jack by their side and a vibrant social circle right in the neighborhood, the Gallos love calling Ballantyne Country Club home. “Our friends are here, our kids’ friends are here—it just feels like home,” says Peggy. “We’re grateful for this community and everything it offers.”