Gail and I attended Tulsa Memorial High School together from 1970 to 1973, spanning our sophomore through senior years. Gail was always quick to engage in student life, joining the Student Council as early as her sophomore year. She was also an active member of the school’s chapter of American Field Service International (AFSI).
AFSI, which originated as a humanitarian aid organization during wartime, had evolved into a prestigious global exchange and intercultural learning program. At Memorial High School, AFSI sponsored international exchange students, fostering a deep interest in foreign customs and the exchange of diverse ideas. Looking back, I believe her involvement in AFSI truly demonstrated Gail’s innate desire to reach out and connect with people from different cultures. My lasting impressions of Gail are of a woman who was highly intelligent, profoundly accepting of others, and a person of peace. She always greeted everyone with a warm, genuine smile. She was a natural volunteer, readily investing her time and energy into the organizations, causes, and people she believed in most.