Wherever she flew, Michigan Gamma Gayle Badley Mimnaugh always had a Pi Phi identification tag on her luggage. Since she could not wear her Pi Phi letters on her flight attendant uniform, the luggage tag was her subtle way of bringing our sisterhood everywhere she went. She would often hear comments from women sitting in the boarding area about our sisterhood and about other Pi Phi sisters.

Gayle loves flying. She spent more than 30 years working as a flight attendant for United Airlines. She has a storied history with the company. Each year, each base would nominate one flight attendant to represent the base, and out of 25,000 flight attendants, Gayle was twice named “Flight Attendant of the Year.” First in 1992 for Leadership when based in Newark, New Jersey and again in 1996 for Customer Service while based out of New York City.

Over the years, Gayle moved a lot with her husband and to various bases with the airline, but kept close to Pi Phi. “The Pi Phis were the first group I always contacted so I had some sense of belonging while not in the air,” says Gayle. Today, Gayle is a member of the Southern Fairfield County Alumnae Club, and has been since joining in 1995.

Of all the Pi Phi memories Gayle has collected, she shared one that stuck out to me.

After her mother, Kansas Beta Jo Ann Scheu Badley, passed away, Gayle’s father moved into an independent care facility. Gayle visited her father often, usually meeting during “happy hour.” Gayle met many wonderful individuals during her visits, but one time saw a woman sitting alone on the couch. So Gayle sat next to her. The woman introduced herself as “Mrs. Marti” and they realized she was the mother of Gayle’s high school classmate, Andy Marti. But that is not all. Andy’s mom was Vermont Alpha Margaret Bullock Marti. Once they recognized they were Pi Phi sisters, Margaret grabbed Gayle’s hand and gave her the Pi Phi handshake! They became good friends and Margaret would introduce Gayle around the facility as her sister. When she passed away, Andy and his family gave Margaret’s Golden Arrow badge to Gayle.

Gayle’s stories remind me that we really do carry Pi Phi with us wherever we go and we never know when we will meet a sister throughout our lives.