In Memory of

Kay Peterson, one of the founders of Escapees, and a long time friend and mentor to me, passed away last week at age 90. While I am deeply saddened by our loss, I can’t help but feel lucky to have known such a unique person as Miss Kay. She influenced everyone she came in contact with, and she had a lasting influence on me. I really got to know Kay when I joined the Toastmasters club she founded at the headquarters offices. I remember I wasn’t too keen to join, but Kay wasn’t someone who’d take NO for an answer…. she gently persuaded me to get involved in Toastmasters, and shortly thereafter, I found myself alongside Kay at a local club’s contest, competing in the humorous speaking category. We competed in many contests together, sometimes against each other, and we did pretty well, bringing home a fair number of trophies. As the years passed, Kay moved away and we saw less of her, but I always looked forward to seeing her whenever I could. Just last March, Kay stood up in front of a capacity crowd at Escapade to speak, and received a 5 minute standing ovation. From the minute she opened her mouth, she owned that crowd. At age 90, she was still the most masterful speaker I’ve ever had the pleasure to hear. Talk about a role model!

Good-bye, Kay. I’m sure going to miss you. We all are. Thanks for, well, everything!