A strange chain of events brought me the news last Saturday that my classmate from my MSJ high school years had died -- in 1994!! She was only 40 years old! Even several days later, I am so stunned -- and sad. Gail was a great friend and a great person -- she added so much to our class. I feel sad to know she's gone.
She came our freshman year to The Mount from Rocky Mount, North Carolina and I honestly cannot recall if I ever knew how in the world she found Mount Saint Joseph Academy and what brought her to us. She was a top-notch student and very talented. I recall she played piano, sang -- we were second sopranos in Chorus. We were "Class Representatives" together our Freshman year for our religious organization - -which got renamed S.O.U.L. that year (Students of United Love -- replaced CSMS and Sodality.) Together, we put on a freshman talent show -- the same show in which she and Freda Danhauer performed Bill Cosby's "Noah." I can still just fall on the floor laughing remembering how hysterically funny she was in that!
She and Stephanie Warren were editors of the Mount in our Junior/Senior years -- and she was good at that as well.
We have learned that Gail went to College at Chapel Hill, North Carolina -- graduated with a journalism degree and went to work at the Orange County Register in California! Later, she worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Oregon! And she was there when she was diagnosed with stomach cancer....and died in 1994.
She left behind a son, Desmond, and her newspaper set up a scholarship fund for him. Gail's brother raised Desmond.
And that's all we know at this point.
On the day we graduated - -May 26, 1973 -- I remember Gail saying to me, "This is really sad. We'll never see each other again." I denied it!!! I said of course we all would see each other again and again -- that's what Alumna Sunday was for!!!! I have thought of this statement repeatedly over the years -- because it made me so sad when she said it. I realize she was just being realistic because of the distance she lived from The Mount (as opposed to me, who grew up in its backdoor!)
It's a haunting statement to remember now. And I'm still sad about it - - because Gail was a wonderful friend and I adored her. She always have a fresh and sensible perspective on whatever we were doing, and I loved hearing what she was thinking. It was a delight to have known her - -and I wish I could have seen her again.
But, our 4 years together were wonderful and fun -- full of laughter because she had a fabulous sense of humor. And how about the fact that she was once the Editor of The Mount - -and went on in a journalism career!!!! How cool is that??!!
My life is better because I knew Gail Westry! I'm so glad she came to the Mount those 4 years!
I climbed up on my fence to get these photos -- the pink dogwood is in Ellen's yard -- with the afternoon sunshine, it was just gorgeous!
More from Ellen's yard -- her azaleas are just brilliant - -and this was in the shade!
I had forgotten that I had these little bluebells in the front yard! What a delight!
