By Martie Thompson
editor@floridanewsline.com
When Gail Packard was growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio and attending an all-girls Catholic high school, she thought she might want to become a nun. Or perhaps a flight attendant. “I love people,” she said. In the early 1960s, she and her girlfriends saw the movie “Where the Boys Are” and all decided they wanted to move to Florida … but she was the only one who did. At the young age of 21 she attended a “land party” and ended up purchasing a piece of land in Cape Coral, Florida. She moved down there at the age of 22 and the rest is history. She moved to Miami, held a number of interesting jobs (including with Eastern Airlines), earned her associate’s degree at age 48, and lived through Hurricane Andrew before retiring and moving north to Mandarin in 2008. She is an active member and the Publicity Chair for the Mandarin Women’s Club. She has two adult children and three granddaughters.
Q: What was it like moving to Florida at the age of 22?
A: After I bought the land in Cape Coral, I ended up working for the land company that sold it to me, Gulf American Land Corporation, for about a year and a half. I realized there wasn’t much for me, a single woman, in Cape Coral, as most of the people moving there were families. So, I moved to Miami Beach and got my real estate license. I spent a couple of years selling land in the Bahamas (although I lived in Miami Beach).
Q: How did you end up at Eastern Airlines?
A: After selling real estate for a few years, I learned that you didn’t have to be a flight attendant to get flight privileges. I worked for Eastern Airlines for 23 years, until they closed. I spent 19 of the years in human resources, coordinating the hiring of pilots and flight attendants, then worked four years in reservations. By then I was married and had two young children, who were nine and 11 years old when Hurricane Andrew hit. We survived the north eyewall and it seems strange to say, but the camaraderie from this experience was unbelievable. We met neighbors we had never known. Our house was damaged, but we never lost our roof so we could continue living there. It was a long recovery process.
Q: What did you do after Eastern Airlines shut down?
A: I learned of a group of businessmen who were helping to provide education to laid off employees. I earned my associate’s degree and walked in the graduation ceremony at age 48 next to the 20-year-olds. I then went to work as an office manager for a financial corporation and stayed there for 17 years, until my children were both out of college. I retired, ended my marriage on a happy note, and reconnected with a girlfriend who lived in Jacksonville. So I moved here in 2008 and I love it. Everyone is so friendly.
Q: How did you get involved with the Mandarin Women’s Club?
A: I wanted to get involved and meet people. First, I joined the Temple Sisterhood and became certified as a braille transcriber. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but so rewarding. Then in 2014 a neighbor invited me to a Mandarin Women’s Club luncheon. The group’s motto is “Where Strangers Become Friends” and that’s true. We have a great group of all ages with so many activities to enjoy. We especially enjoy eating! We have a monthly meeting with either a motivational speaker, or Bingo, or a fashion show, from September through May. We are up to 208 members this year.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: I love to travel and have been on 18 cruises. I go to the gun range; I’m a pretty good shot! I also like playing cards and Mexican Train.
[Visit www.mandarinwomensclub.com to learn more about the Mandarin Women’s Club.]
Photo courtesy Gail Packard
Gail Packard
