I cut off two dying branches about a week ago. Today i found two more:
Here’s both, after cutting them off, too.
The cultivar is one my husband’s uncle selected from seedlings he planted.
It’s not obvious from those photos, but one of the branches was mechanically broken before i cut it off, and it’s possible the issue is squirrel or chipmunk damage, although it looks like more than that to me.
Looks like Fireblight.
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Yikes!
Other than cutting off the damage, is there anything i should be doing?
Cut it off below any affected area and burn it or throw it away. Don’t let it get close to anything else you like. I cut some from my Bartlett pear and it appears to have worked.
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It’s definitely fireblight. Cut well below the damaged area, disinfect your pruners between cuts, and don’t use removed branches in compost.
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So that’s what my Gala has.
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Well, i used wire snippers (because they were handy and I’ve never use them with plants before, and plan not to going forward) and cut well below the visible damage, and tossed the branches in the municipal trash, which was hauled away today. Now i guess i cross my fingers and wait.
Maybe i should cut off a few more inches with something clean, and disinfect that something between cuts.
Sadly for you and me both, Gala is particularly susceptible to fireblight.
Had some on my Gold Rush this spring.
Seems to mostly hit shoots with late blossoms here.
Think next year after it blooms for about a week… I may try pulling the later blossoms.
Later blossoms warmer weather and rain… look out.
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It started a couple of years ago on my ancient crabapples. I didn’t recognize it. I recognize FB on pears, but apples just seem different.
I’ve cut two more times since posting. 
I have animals all over the trees, and my guess is they spread the bacteria on their feet.
It’s funny, because counting the random wild crabs, there are dozens of apples around, and i don’t see it on anything else. This tree must be extremely susceptible.
(Yes, I’m being very careful with hygiene, and all the damaged parts I’ve removed have gone into the municipal trash, not the compost pile.)
I pull off late blooms of pears and apples. These appear to get more strikes of FB.
I do the same.