Kathleen Gordon O'Riley

"If I Only Had Wings I Could Fly"

This picture was taken at our annual flight attendant retirement luncheon. I ended my 37 year, world wide adventure with American Airlines in March of this year. It was a wonderful journey and I would do it all again.

The first 10 years of flying was all fun, lived in NYC for a year, life in the fast lane, traveling all over on passes and discounts.

Then in 1978, I won some money on a game show Card Sharks, and decided it was time to buy a house. I found Camarillo one day, on a drive with a friend, it felt so right, I put my game show earnings down on my first house. My husband, to be, bought the house across the street. I married John at the San Fernando Mission in 1980, we have two sons, Patrick 23 and Michael 20. John was with LA City Fire so I flew on his days off and the boys got a fresh parent every couple of days. Our boys now live together in the Valley, Patrick has a degree in film and is researching and writing for a production company and Michael is at CSUN, a computer nerd with an Asian Studies minor, he hopes to go to school in Japan next year. John has also retired so we are redecorating our empty nest.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and went through all of the treatments, John was my rock and I am a survivor. Now I am now growing my hair back (bald was not a good look for me) and sleeping in my own bed every night, ah yes, life is good.

I am bringing my mom, 'Mrs. G' our typing teacher, to the reunion. She is 87 and still going strong. She lives in Leisure Village, just a short drive from my house. She is looking forward to seeing all of her old (but not too old) students.

Kathleen (Gordon) O'Riley
Camarillo, CA