gail a. lindsey, faia

Transcription

JOY,
SMILES &
B e l ie v i n g I mp ossi ble T h i n g s!
g a i l a . l i ndse y, fa i a
“One can’t believe impossible things.”
[stated Alice]
“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,”
said the Queen.
“When I was your age,
I always did it for half-an-hour a day.
Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as
six impossible things before breakfast.”
I DO believe in the impossible.
I believe that each and every one of
us has an inner power greater than
we are able to imagine and that this
inner power increases in magnitude
each time we use it for good to
empower ourselves and others.
Gail Ann Lindsey…
proving the impossible from 1954 to 2009
2
“Oh , P u n k ie…” b y M i ke C ox
3
Oh, Punkie – It’s not good…
Punkie, short for Punkin, itself short for Punkinhead (never “Pumpkin” or “Pumpkinhead”). An
endearment between Gail and me, it could be used casually, but this shortest version was the
nickname of choice for an important occasion, whether triumphal or sad.
I’m still asking myself “Do you really want to put these words, this remembrance, down on paper, have
it read by Gail’s friends and family—are you simply seeking your own catharsis, and if so, should you
risk transferring this dismal memory to others?” This project certainly is not about me, and I’d prefer
that it be a celebration of Gail’s life, not a focus on the illness that ended it. Some of the people who
will read this came to know Gail through her illness, but most not. However it is true that the way Gail
responded to her diagnosis and the resulting treatments—her occasional missives about her condition,
her latest “life lessons,” and her optimistic but head-on approach—this is what built the Monster List
of valued email correspondents to grow to include over 200 fellow travelers and “visionaries.”
These words, not only the words, but the full recollection of Gail’s voice as it came over my office
phone – These words have run through my head many times over the past two years (and I’m writing
this almost two years to the day), and lately, many times each day. I’m not sure what initiates
the remembrance—it can happen anywhere, anytime—and it typically stops me in my tracks; at a
minimum I find my brain circuits frozen, my consciousness momentarily elsewhere.
The printed word isn’t capable of conveying the full emotional content of this short sentence. The
initial attempt to stay strong, the long, meaningful pause, the faltering utterance of the final two
words; the catch in her throat, the worry, the fear, the unknown.
At the time, I didn’t need any emotional content to understand fully what Gail was expressing. I had
been on pins and needles all day, waiting for the pronouncement that would either make this day a
soon-forgotten sigh of relief – or – change our lives forever. A fairly typical sequence of events led to
this moment; we weren’t the first to go through them and unfortunately won’t be the last. A lump is
noticed that brings about an office visit. Initial diagnosis—most likely an inflamed cyst that might
need to be drained. A mammogram prescribed just to be sure. Results inconclusive, next a biopsy to
truly make sure.
She spoke the words into her cell phone while in her car, sitting alone in the clinic parking lot. Gail
had adamantly refused my entreaties to go with her to the doctor’s office, just as she had for the
previous tests. My assumption has always been that somewhere in her subconscious, she didn’t want
any of this to be important enough that I would need to accompany her, that my attendance might
sway the outcome.
I don’t have a clear memory of what else was said; there certainly didn’t need to be any additional
discussion—all the important information had already been conveyed. I do recall somewhere in there
hearing the unnecessary words “-it’s cancer-” before we both hung up to quickly head home to be
together. So much we didn’t know, so much we learned about breast cancer over the next few weeks as
tests were performed to learn the severity of what we were up against.
These words do truly capture a good bit of what made Gail so special, why so many people were
interested in sharing her tough experiences with her. Gail was open and honest, tough and scared.
Some of what she did would lead you to think that she was fearless—and she certainly was courageous,
but a more true courage, the courage to dream big, have reasonable fears about what it will take to
achieve those dreams, but not let those fears get in the way.
It took great courage to step into I.M. Pei’s office with an undergraduate’s portfolio, but (after
incorrectly thinking she had been summarily dismissed) Gail emerged with the job. She was scared
years later to quit her position in Raleigh and start Design Harmony, reluctant (but eager) to become
part of the AIA Committee On The Environment, dubious of her ability (but eager) to later chair the
committee, frightened to close down her architecture office and step out on her own as a consultant,
teacher, and facilitator, and so fearful at first to get up and speak in front of a crowd. Despite what any
who have seen her speak might think, she never lost this fear, but used it as a motivation to be smarter
and prepare better. Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback she received, she was always taken
aback by a negative evaluation by a workshop participant, be it one matched to fifty “perfects.”
These fears may have sometimes stalled her for a bit, but none ever stopped her. Harder would have
been to sit still, to settle. She tried to face down cancer the same way, terrified at times, but still a
full-on frontal assault, not complacent to accept what she was told by anyone (least of all her husband),
always searching, trying new things (lord knows she wasn’t bounded by science). To most everyone she
kept up her brave face even when she wasn’t feeling brave, willing herself to be tougher even as she
tried her best to will the cancer away.
Among the attributes that drove Gail to face down these fears and strive so hard were her own internal
fears—her eternal fears that she didn’t match up, didn’t do enough, didn’t know enough. No amount of
awards or honors (certainly no blandishments or encouragement from me) ever put much of a lasting
dent in this facet of her personality. I believe that her reaction to the wave of accolades that have
flooded in like the tide since her death would have included some disbelief and a bit of embarrassment,
but far bigger portions of pride and delight, and perhaps a measure of relief.
So – I hope everyone who reads this and all of the emails, articles, anecdotes, and blog postings about
Gail experiences the joy and triumph of her life as well as the sorrow of the patently unfair end to
it. Most of all, remember her as a flesh and blood real human being—perhaps more blessed with an
atypical, idea generating intellect than most, and certainly more thoughtful and kinder of heart, but
still bound by the same constraints as the rest of us.
■ Mike
21 March 2009
The information on the following seven pages
was prepared by Gail and submitted to AIA
North Carolina in June 2008 for consideration
as a recipient of the F. Carter Williams Gold
Medal Award.
“…for your hard work on Greening the White
House…I greatly appreciate your assistance and
look forward to your continued efforts to help
people save money, protect the environment and
improve the quality of their surroundings.”
■ President William Jefferson Clinton
The White House
“After viewing the Department of Defense
Sustainable Training pilot workshop that you and
others organized and presented this past week, I
wanted to send a short follow-up letter to share
my enthusiasm for your skills, your work and
the momentum you encouraged in the military…
You were able to get the audience engaged in
rethinking existing parameters and procedures,
and in considering how to get started or move
forward with sustainable design, depending on
their current level of practice… Thanks again for
all your efforts; they are greatly appreciated.”
■ Terrel Emmons, FAIA
Chief Architect, Naval Facilities Command (NAVFAC)
“Thank you so much for your time and expertise
at Ft. Bragg…. Your grace under pressure is the
stuff of legend. Everyone is still talking about
how great it was to have you here.
You have made a difference.”
■ Alice Soulek, Environmental Lawyer
Ft. Bragg Military Base
“I remember meeting you in 1998 at the inaugural
USGBC leadership in design meeting. It was
there that I felt your passion for design with the
environment. Now you’ve been on our team at
EPA as a consultant for the past seven years, and
you have made a significant difference enhancing
energy performance in building design through
ENERGY STAR. Your spirit and enthusiasm
is infectious, your knowledge on sustainability
undeniable; and with all these lofty accolades
you still manage to be caring, genuine and fun.…
EPA is privileged to have you on our team!”
■ Karen P. Butler
ENERGY STAR–Commercial New Construction
GA I L A . L I N D S E Y, FA I A
biog r aphy
Architect Gail Lindsey, distinguished as a Fellow in the
American Institute of Architects, is the founder and president
of the Wake Forest, NC company, Design Harmony, Inc.
With a local to international focus, she consults on
architectural projects, undertakes research into highpotential design, develops tools and training courses,
and creates and facilitates FUN and productive actionoriented charrettes and workshops.
Gail has been a visionary leader and innovator within the
rapidly evolving field of integrated design. Instrumental
in the initial creation of the US Green Building
Council’s (USGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) green building rating system,
she was one of the first 12 LEED trainers. Gail also
co-created USGBC training courses, including the early
Advanced LEED training course. She established the
first USGBC group in North Carolina, and as the LEED
consultant for the EPA’s Computer Center in Research
Triangle Park, NC, she worked with the award-winning
O’Brien Atkins architectural firm to achieve a Silver
rating for the project.
As past chair of the National AIA Committee on the
Environment, Gail created the AIA COTE Top Ten Recognition
Program for “green” projects in 1996 (which has grown to
be a highly-valued national AIA recognition program).
She is former chair of the NC Green Building Council and
is an advisory board member of Environmental Building
News. Gail has given over 300 Green Architecture
workshops and presentations since 1990. She has been an
invited speaker at the National AIA Conventions since
1995, has given numerous presentations to colleges and
universities across the country from Yale to Stanford,
and has presented internationally from Tokyo to New
Delhi to Santiago de Chile.
Gail’s work has also included: The Greening of the White
House, The Greening of the Pentagon, The Greening of
Habitat for Humanity, The Sustainable Design Initiatives
for the National Park Service, The International Green
Building Challenge and companion GBTool, the interactive
CD ROM—The Green Building Advisor, the Department
of Energy’s web-based high performance case study
database, the Department of Defense’s Sustainable
Design Training Program, and the US EPA’s Energy
Star Program. She and four colleagues are currently
working with the US General Services Administration
on “Expanding Our Approach,” proposing a new level of
design potential—regenerative design.
“Gail, from the moment I met you at the
sustainability training for NPS in Denver,
Colorado, I knew your enthusiasm and
knowledge of sustainable design was
unmatched. Over the course of the last five
years, your authorship of the NPS Greening
Charrettes has helped us build a sustainability
program here at the NPS that is leading the
way in the federal government.”
■ Shawn Norton
Environmental Leadership Program Manager,
National Park Service
“Gail, I always look forward to the charrettes
and workshops that you lead for GSA. Your
enthusiasm and passion for building green
quickly spreads to everyone participating. Your
insight and ability to connect concepts is truly
amazing. I’m convinced GSA is building better
buildings thanks to the work you have done.”
■ Don Horn, AIA, LEED AP
Director, Sustainable Design Program,
Office of Applied Science, GSA Public Buildings Service
“[The Green Building Advisor is] Essential.
A rich source of prioritized green building
options made complete with case studies
and a reference library.”
■ Amory Lovins, Co-Founder and Director of Research
Rocky Mountain Institute
“Thanks for your leadership with our LEED
training seminar.… You did an outstanding job
concerning a lot of technical information on the
subject of sustainability. I thought the session
extremely productive.… I know this experience
will serve as a catalyst to build our knowledge
base and add credibility to why our clients
select RT Dooley for their projects.”
■ David S. Dooley, Executive Vice President
RT Dooley Construction Company
“What a treat to get your wonderful article! I
loved your article which was so full,
yet very succinct. Let me say that it was
you who inspired me and I feel blessed with
having made a connection. I do hope our paths
continue to cross in the years ahead.”
■ Michael Totten, Senior Researcher
World Resources Institute
5
Her work has been published in Green Architecture, The
Ecology of Architecture, Green Developments, and in the
Environmental Resource Guide. Gail’s own house is
presented in the book Human Spaces: Life Enhancing
Designs for Healing, Working, and Living. She authored a
chapter titled “Building Values” for the book Reshaping
the Built Environment.
Gail holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with Honors
from Georgia Institute of Technology (with additional
undergraduate college credits achieved at Duke University)
and a Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University.
Gail’s studies also include a year in Paris at the Ecole
des Beaux Arts, a year at Carnegie Mellon, and two
awarded Kinney Fellowships from Columbia University
to study in Italy and Turkey.
Gail was one of 25 Environmental Champions as chosen
by EnvironDesign Journal, received the 2005 NC
State Design Guild Award, and is a USGBC National
Community Leadership Award recipient. She accepted
the last award at the 2007 USGBC Conference in front of
over 20,000 attendees.
Gail is constantly exploring the idea of how we evaluate
the economic, environmental, and social impacts of our
design and construction choices in relation to the health
of our planet.
Never satisfied with the status quo, and while actively
engaging others in her pursuits, Gail strives to push
the leading edge forward with a focus on core values,
performance metrics, the power of story, and an
understanding of the need for personal development.
Her most important work is
“deeply questioning existing
design practices, co-creating
with others joyful ‘regenerative
design,’ and giving hope to
future generations.” ■
6
7
An awareness of every design level is key to conscious evolutionary design
• The top three levels are ascending steps of an “integrated design” approach
• The bottom three are different levels of a “segregated parts” approach
REGENERATIVE DESIGN
Improving place by making it more healthy and vital.
“Let’s achieve a healthy relationship between people and
place where both are enriched over multiple generations”
RESTORATIVE DESIGN
Returning a place to original conditions.
“Let’s get back to a better place.”
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
No additional damage to place over the long-term.
“Let’s not make it any worse.”
GREEN DESIGN
(Awareness—consequences of actions)
Slowing down damage to place; attempting to limit
the damage.
“Let’s strive to do less bad.”
CONVENTIONAL DESIGN
An “acceptable level” of damage to place has been built into
prevailing standard design practices.
“Everybody does it; it must be OK.”
FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED CONVENTIONAL DESIGN
Sees damage to place as a financial consideration only;
the bottom line trumps all other considerations.
“It’s OK if it makes (more) money.”
BASE DESIGN
Unconscious degradation of place.
[No thought to effects to place—no motto applies]
“7 Levels of Design” created by Gail Lindsey based on collaborative discussions with John Boecker, Nadav Malin, Bill Reed, and Joel Todd and
the early work of John Lyle and Regenesis.
“Sustainable design lacks a vital component—a dedication and commitment
to a mutually enriching relationship between people and place; this
relationship is the essence of regenerative design.
Every moment we delay in investigating, clarifying, disseminating,
and embracing this higher potential design does a grave disservice to
the overall health and well-being of ourselves, our communities, and our
world… but most importantly, to future generations.”
“On behalf of the US Green Building Council and the Emerging Green Builders,
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to you for your participation and support of the annual
USGBC Natural Talent Design Competition.… The sponsorship and participation of supporters such as you
allowed the EGBs to pull together a great program that highlighted the future leaders of our movement.
The future generation thanks you!”
— Gail A. Lindsey, FAIA
■ Traci Rose Rider
Past Chair, Emerging Green Builders
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env i r on m ent a l c h a mpion
Gail Lindsey was chosen as one of the Top 25 Environmental Champions for 2005 by EnvironDesign® Journal,
along with such leaders as Robert Kennedy, Jr., and Governor George Pataki.
v ision a r y leade r
9
Gail Lindsey, FAIA, the recipient of the 2005 North Carolina State University Design Guild Award, was cited as making
a profound difference in the lives of others through her innovative and visionary design leadership.
10
globa l adv oc ate
Gail was presented in 2007 with one of the highest awards from the US Green Building Council—the Community
Leadership Award—for being a visionary leader, an initial co-creator of LEED, and a global community catalyst.
Personally, I have to say that no one has had more impact on my
career in green building than Gail Lindsey.
“As a very hands-on teacher of
design possibilities and practice,
you have made a lasting impression
on my thinking. Your enthusiasm
inspires me to see the meaningful
ways that sustainability can improve
our society AND nurture our spirits.
Thank you.”
■ Isaac Panzarella
Mechanical Engineer
“I read your name in the latest
Architectural Record magazine
and thought about you and your
powerful joyous energy which always
stimulates and inspires me…”
■ Barbara Harwood
Author
“I was thinking about you while
I was in Boston at the AIA National
Top Ten COTE Awards and just
wanted to drop you a simple note to
say thank you…. You showed me the
‘green light’ to sustainability.”
■ Doug Brinkley
Architect
“Gail—You have been a mentor and
an inspiration to so many of us over
such a long period of time. You are a
real jewel of the green movement.”
■ David Eisenberg
Contractor
“Thank you for inspiring all of us to
do our best—to continue to push us
to think beyond our current
boundaries of how health,
the environment, social equity,
and happiness all fit together.
■ Joel Todd
Environmental Consultant
Gail was recognized by USGBC for her role in creating
Community, which is certainly apt. She has an amazing ability
to make connections—between people, ideas, projects, you
name it—everywhere she goes. In conversations about specific
projects, whenever there is the suggestion that a choice has to be
made between two competing possibilities, Gail speaks up as the
“And Police”—not “this OR that” she says, but “this AND that.”
Nothing can be excluded in her holistic view of the world.
Another favorite inside joke is that when Gail is involved in
structuring a document or event you always end up with five
categories, no more and no less. Ever wonder why LEED has
five topic areas? Because Gail was involved when LEED
transitioned from an alphabetical list of credits to its current
category structure.
Gail’s influence on BuildingGreen, and on me in particular, has
been nothing short of profound.
She was one of EBN’s [Environmental Building News] original
advisory board members. She came to us when some defense
contractors brought her a half-baked software tool in need of
resuscitation, and worked with us (and with CREST) to create
the Green Building Advisor. The case studies that she developed
(with our input) for that tool became the basis for our work
(again, with her help) on U.S. DOE’s High Performance Buildings
Database. And later on, when DOE asked us to manage AIA’s Top
Ten Green Projects competition using that database, we realized
that AIA’s competition was also Gail’s baby, from her years as
chair of the Committee on the Environment in the mid 1990s.
As if that wasn’t enough, it was Gail who recruited me in 2001 to
chair the Materials and Resources Technical Advisory Group for
what we thought at the time was LEED version 3. Gail was also
central to a project that I worked on for GSA called Expanding Our
Approach, and she brought me into the Green Building Challenge
initiative, through which I was able to participate in several
international Sustainable Building Conferences.
But perhaps most amazing of all is the fact that I’m not unique
in this debt I owe to Gail. She’s had this kind of influence on lots
of people! Maybe we should form a club. ■
Posted at BuildingGreen.com on November 13, 2007, by Nadav Malin,
Editor of Environmental Building News and Vice President of BuildingGreen
m e d i a a le r t
11
First Woman to Win North Carolina Architects’ Gold Medal
Charlotte, North Carolina - August 23, 2008 - The American Institute of Architects North Carolina (AIANC)
presented the AIA North Carolina F. Carter Williams Gold Medal to Gail A. Lindsey, FAIA of Wake Forest,
NC. The highest honor presented by the AIANC, the medal is awarded to a member in recognition of a
distinguished career or extraordinary accomplishments as an architect.
Lindsey, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and the first woman to receive this
prestigious honor, started her work in Green architecture long before many architects understood their
responsibility to design environmentally friendly buildings. In short, she is a powerhouse, a gentle soul,
and a pioneer.
Lindsey holds a Bachelor of Architecture with honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology, with
additional undergraduate credits achieved at Duke University, as well as a Master of Architecture
degree from Columbia University. Her studies also include a year in Paris at Ecole des Beaux Arts, a
year at Carnegie Mellon, and two awarded Kinney Fellowships from Columbia University to study in
Italy and Turkey.
She is the founder and president of the Wake Forest, North Carolina company Design Harmony,
Incorporated, where she undertakes research into high-potential, high-performance design, develops
tools and training courses, and creates and facilitates fun and productive, action-oriented charrettes and
workshops. She often shares her expertise on the national as well as the local stage, and is considered a
visionary leader and innovator in the rapidly evolving fields of regenerative and integrated design.
Instrumental in the initial creation of the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design green building rating system, Gail was one of the first 12 LEED® trainers. She cocreated USGBC training courses, including the early advanced LEED® training course. She established
the first USGBC group in North Carolina, and as the LEED® consultant for the EPA’s Computer Center
in Research Triangle Park, she worked with the award-winning architectural firm O’Brien Atkins to
achieve a LEED® Silver rating on the project.
Her work has included the Greening of the White House, the Greening of the Pentagon, the Greening of
Habitat for Humanity, the Sustainable Design Initiatives for the National Park Service, the International
Green Building Challenge, and its companion, interactive Green Building Tool CD ROM.
She has worked on the Department of Energy’s web-based high-performance case study database, the
Department of Defense’s Sustainable Design training Program, and the US EPA’s Energy Star Program.
She and four colleagues are currently working with the US General Services Administration on
“Expanding Our Approach”, proposing a new level of design potential—regenerative design.
In a letter of appreciation, the forty-second president of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton
says “…for your hard work on Greening the White House…I greatly appreciate your assistance and look
forward to your continued efforts to help people save money, protect the environment and improve the
quality of their surroundings.”
Marvin Malecha, FAIA, Dean of the NC State University College of Design and the 2009 AIA National
President notes that “We have felt her influence in North Carolina…she is a model for the ability of
architects to be activists and positive contributors to the public discussion…it is clear that she is a
deserving winner of the F. Carter Williams Gold Medal.” ■
AIA North Carolina comprises over 2300 members, representing architects at local and state levels. AIANC members work with allied organizations and business leaders, civil
servants, and volunteers to advance the best interests of the profession and the public, proving that good design makes a difference in America’s communities.
12
T he L i fe a nd L e g ac y of GA I L A . L I N D S E Y
I n me mor i a m
i n m e mor i a m
The following was posted on AIA North Carolina web site on February 3, 2009.
We are deeply saddened to announce that Gail Lindsey, FAIA died Monday
after a valiant struggle with cancer. Gail, AIA North Carolina’s 2008 Gold
Medal winner, was 54 years old and lived in Wake Forest, NC with her
husband Mike.
A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and the first woman
to receive the AIANC Gold Medal, Lindsey started her work in Green
architecture long before many architects understood their responsibility
to design environmentally friendly buildings. In short, she was a
powerhouse, a gentle soul, and a pioneer.
Lindsey held a Bachelor of Architecture with honors from the Georgia
Institute of Technology, with additional undergraduate credits achieved
at Duke University, as well as a Master of Architecture degree from
Columbia University. Her studies also included a year in Paris at Ecole
des Beaux Arts, a year at Carnegie Mellon, and two awarded Kinney
Fellowships from Columbia University to study in Italy and Turkey.
She was the founder and president of the Wake Forest, North Carolina company Design
Harmony, Incorporated, where she undertook research into high-potential, high-performance
design, developed tools and training courses, and created and facilitated fun and productive,
action-oriented charrettes and workshops. She often shared her expertise on the national
as well as the local stage, and was considered a visionary leader and innovator in the rapidly
evolving fields of regenerative and integrated design.
Instrumental in the initial creation of the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system, Gail was one of the first
12 LEED® trainers. She co-created USGBC training courses, including the early advanced
LEED® training course. She established the first USGBC group in North Carolina, and as
the LEED® consultant for the EPA’s Computer Center in Research Triangle Park, she worked
with the award-winning architectural firm O’Brien Atkins to achieve a LEED® Silver rating
on the project.
Her work has included the Greening of the White House, the Greening of the Pentagon, the
Greening of Habitat for Humanity, the Sustainable Design Initiatives for the National Park
Service, the International Green Building Challenge, and its companion, interactive Green
Building Tool CD ROM.
She has worked on the Department of Energy’s web-based high-performance case study
database, the Department of Defense’s Sustainable Design training Program, and the US
EPA’s Energy Star Program.
In a letter of appreciation, the forty-second president of the United States, William Jefferson
Clinton says “...for your hard work on Greening the White House...I greatly appreciate your
assistance and look forward to your continued efforts to help people save money, protect the
environment and improve the quality of their surroundings.”
No public ceremony is planned at this time.
■
13
The following tribute was posted on the web site of North Carolina Triangle Chapter
Emerging Green Builders.
Submitted by will.senner on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 10:33am.
The Emerging Green Builders would like to celebrate the life of a beloved friend, colleague,
and visionary in sustainable design, Gail Lindsey. We could emphasize Gail’s impact through
the many accomplishments on her resume, but her greatest gift was the call to action and the
enthusiasm she inspired in so many of us. A founding pioneer in the creation of the US Green
Building Council (including the North Carolina Chapter), and the LEED rating system, our
group owes its heritage to this dynamic maternal figure in the green building movement. As
a matter of fact, Gail was the featured speaker at the Triangle Chapter of the Emerging Green
Builders’ inaugural event. “Think globally, act locally, commit personally,” was a favorite
motto she coined, and it really embodies what the EGB is all about.
Gail radiated charisma, inspiration, hope, and love. The faith that she had in people,
community, and nature’s grand design illuminated her footsteps and the lives of those she
touched. Her passing leaves a void in our hearts that is replenished only with the knowledge
that this world is a better place for her having been in it, and that the work she accomplished
will be enjoyed by generations to come. She is eternally a part of the sacred natural design
that she spent her life championing and appreciating. Gail was a primary focus of the book
Women in Green, where she was quoted: “A mentor once told me that to change the world,
I should change myself. But that’s hard! Sustainability is most profound when you find it
personally. Once you respect and love yourself, you start respecting and loving and valuing
everything else—other people, the planet—because you know that you are connected.”
Some of Gail’s other work included: Founder of the green architecture firm ‘Design Harmony’
in Wake Forest, the Greening of the White House, the Greening of the Pentagon, the Greening
of Habitat for Humanity, the Sustainable Design Initiatives for the National Park Service,
the International Green Building Challenge, the Department of Energy’s web-based high
performance case study database, the Department of Defense’s Sustainable Design Training
Program, the US EPA’s Energy Star Program, and as past chair of the National AIA Committee
on the Environment, Gail created the AIA COTE Top Ten Recognition Program for “green”
projects in 1996.
Even with all of those monumental projects, Gail never became unapproachable. Though
she was a superstar on the national green building stage, she knew how important future
generations of green building leaders are and always made time for them. After her cancer
diagnosis, Gail started focusing more on sustainability in her personal life, and on the
importance of regenerative design. She understood the need for a deeper integration between
ourselves, our work, our communities, and the world; the idea that in addition to minimizing
our impact as we move forward, it is time to start healing the great damage that has already
been done. One of her last endeavors – www.delvingdeeper.org – is in many ways the essence
of how Gail saw sustainability: to consciously practice becoming whole—becoming aware
of how to take care of and love ourselves, our communities, and our planet. Her visionary
presence and all-encompassing view will continue on with all of us as we consciously strive to
love more deeply.
“All we have to do is love more. Love ourselves more. Love the ecosystems more. Just love more.”
—Gail Lindsey ■
14
g a i l l i ndse y’s leg ac y of jo y
r e m e m be r i ng g a i l l i ndse y
The following article was published in GreenSource magazine, March/April 2009.
This article originally appeared on the BuildingGreen.com blog.
By Kira Gould and Lance Hosey
Posted February 4, 2009, 1:59 PM by Alex Wilson, publisher of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec®
15
At first we don’t see her. We’re in the right place, but the conference-goers cluttering the halls are like
a haystack hiding a needle. Suddenly, in the unpredictable ballet that governs crowds, the mob thins,
and we make out the faint silhouette of a woman waiting near the window. With the light behind her,
her features are illegible, but she captivates the eye nevertheless. We’ve never met her before, but
somehow, across a congested room, bathed in shadow, this woman simply beams.
The green building industry lost one of its pillars this week. Less than two
years after being diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2007, Gail Lindsey,
FAIA, of Wake Forest, North Carolina, passed away on February 2nd. She
had been recovering from a third round of chemotherapy when a sudden
recurrence of liver cancer was discovered late last week.
That was Gail Lindsey—always radiant. On February 2, liver cancer took her life, but her light lives on.
Sustainability’s spiritual guide, she has inspired countless people to work toward a better world. Her
husband, Michael Cox, puts it simply: “Gail reflected back to everyone a better image of themselves.”
Gail has been a key part of the green building movement since its earliest
formative days. She was one of EBN’s most enthusiastic supporters
since joining our advisory board at the beginning of 1994, and was
always willing to share wisdom and encouragement whenever asked. For
architects, Gail was perhaps best known as chair of the National AIA
Committee on the Environment (COTE) during a particularly formative
period when the annual Top-10 awards were launched.
A brilliant architect, educator, consultant, facilitator, and connector, Gail seemed to have a hand in
everything that has shaped the American green-building movement. She was an early force in the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC), helped write LEED, and co-created its training program. As chair
of the AIA’s Committee on the Environment, she started its Top Ten Green Projects awards program,
and she helped write the U.S. Army’s SPiRiT rating system, as well as BuildingGreen’s Green Building
Advisor. The list goes on. For her many contributions, the AIA inducted her into its College of Fellows
in 2000, and the USGBC awarded her with its prestigious Leadership Award in 2007.
For thousands of architects, builders, developers, and facilities managers,
Gail is remembered as an enthusiastic and inspirational teacher. She led
more than 200 workshops and charrettes on green building, and never
failed to brighten and inspire those participants.
But Gail’s gift was not just her work—it was her luminosity. Unlike the alarmist tone common among
environmentalists, her legacies are hope, joy, and especially love. “Gail was the heart and soul of
the green-building movement,” BuildingGreen’s Alex Wilson tells us. “Her good cheer, infectious
enthusiasm, and signature smile never failed to brighten any day, no matter what the challenges or
difficulties being faced.”
I remember sitting in one of those charrettes—I can’t remember where or when. After each of
the 30 or 40 of us sitting in a circle introduced ourselves, I was astounded to hear Gail repeat
each of our names. It was one of Gail’s many gifts, and it helped each of those participants feel
listened to and important. It was all about them, the students, not about her, the instructor.
The strength she showed in her battles with her own health, including cancer in recent years, is a
testament to her enduring will. When she was younger, her university studies were interrupted by
a brain aneurism that required long hospital stays, giving her plenty of time to think about how to
use her education. “A mentor once told me that to change the world, I should change myself,” she said
when we met. “But that’s hard! Sustainability is most profound when you find it personally. Once you
respect and love yourself, you start respecting and loving and valuing everything else—other people,
the planet—because you know that you are connected.”
Among the many charrettes Gail was involved with were the Greening of the White House,
the Greening of the Pentagon, the Sustainable Design Initiatives for the National Park
Service, and the Sustainable Design Training Program for the Department of Defense. I
remember her describing the bizarre ending of a charrette at a military base on September
11, 2001. President Bush was diverted to this base on his return from Florida to Washington
after the terrorist attacks. The military personnel didn’t know what to do with these civilian
instructors in their midst so, in the panic, locked them up in a room.
That love has been reverberating since news of her death began to spread. Those who knew her well
or only briefly have expounded on her generosity and great gifts. Leaders in the sustainable design
movement such as Mithun’s Sandy Mendler, Interior Design’s Penny Bonda, BNIM’s Bob Berkebile,
and many others cite her as a significant influence on their careers and thinking. (We couldn’t quote
everyone here; see their voices and others on the Tribute to Gail Lindsey at greensourcemag.com.)
Gail was involved in creating the LEED Rating System, the Army’s SPiRiT rating system, the
North Carolina Triangle J High Performance Guidelines, and the International Green Building
Challenge Assessment Tool. She was one of the first twelve LEED trainers for the U.S. Green
Building Council, and she co-chaired the U.S. Team for the International Green Building
Challenge starting with its inception in 1996.
When we first met her, in a crowded room at Greenbuild in 2005, we discussed the book we were
beginning to write, Women in Green: Voices of Sustainable Design, for which we interviewed hundreds
of industry leaders. What did she think the book might have to offer? “The energy of all these people,”
she replied. “What a gift!” A conversation between her and her good friend and colleague Joel Ann
Todd, who calls Gail “a magical force,” became the final dialogue of the book. We asked how best to
face the world’s challenges, and Gail’s answer was characteristically jubilant: “All we have to do is love
more. Love ourselves more. Love the ecosystems more. Just love more.”
We worked very closely with Gail in creating the Green Building Advisor—not our new online
tool GreenBuildingAdvisor.com, but the CD-ROM-based brainstorming tool of the same
name that BuildingGreen produced ten years ago in partnership with Gail’s company, Design
Harmony, and the Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST). The
early meetings about this tool at our home in Dummerston, Vermont are fond memories; Gail
connected with my two daughters and always asked about them in the years since.
Once again she was beaming.
■
In recent years, Gail was focused on the evolution of green building beyond energy and
water and materials—the holistic aspects of this field. In 2005, Nadav worked closely with
continued K
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her, Bill Reed, Joel Todd, and others on the Expanding Our Approach workshop supported by
the General Services Administration. A year later, I was fortunate enough to join Gail and
thirty other visionaries in a symposium on biophilia. Last summer Jim Newman, on our staff,
participated in a five-day “Summer Camp” in the Adirondacks organized by Gail and a few
others pursuing deeper connections, personal growth, and fun (a pursuit that Gail thought
didn’t get enough attention in our meetings and conferences).
When Gail was recognized in 2007 with a Leadership Award from the USGBC, Nadav noted,
“Gail’s influence on BuildingGreen, and on me in particular, has been nothing short of
profound.” Gail will be sorely missed by all of us at BuildingGreen and by thousands of others
in the green building field whose lives she deeply touched. We offer our deepest sympathies
to her beloved husband Mike, who has cared so ably for Gail these past two years, and to her
wide circle of supportive friends. During her illness, Gail gave as much support to this circle
of friends as we were able to give to her. Gail’s endearing smile will live on for all of us.
Blog Comments
…Remarkable, beautiful, love and spirit incarnate. If
I’d met Gail as a dishwasher or a doctor her impact on
my life would have been just as meaningful. I hope
all who knew or knew of her take time to share and
mourn with a friend. Personally, doing so has quickly
turned feelings of emptiness and sorrow into joy.
There are still tears in my eyes, but I can not help but
smile every time I think of Gail. The world will always
need the love Gail carried with her. It will take all of
us sharing a little more of our joy, to equal what we
have lost.
Gail’s great generous, kind and brilliant spirit lives on
in thousands of us, and our task is to pass that fully
on to others through our own work and lives. What
more joyful work could we hope to have?
Posted 2/5/09 12:47 AM by David Eisenberg
R e me m b e r i n g Ga i l L i nd s ey
I am filled with a mixture of the deep sadness of loss,
and a tremendous sense of wanting to be ALIVE and
as connected with everything as possible this week…
in honor of Gail and her shine. I also am feeling the
warmth of the web of community that has formed
around her and am grateful for it.
Gail would ask us to SMILE and to make beautiful
and important things happen. And she would give us
her love and ask that we share it with each other. I
close my eyes still every day at noon in her honor, and
hope to meet others there in celebration.
Posted 2/5/09 8:37 AM by Lauren Yarmuth
Posted 2/5/09 9:34 AM by Mike Barcik
Posted 2/5/09 10:48 AM by Julie Gabrielli
Penny Bonda has posted a loving tribute to “The
Inextinguishable Gail Lindsey” on her wonderful
blog at InteriorDesign.net. To quote Penny: Gail
Lindsey—architect, educator, innovative visionary—
had a profound influence on me and thousands of
design and building professionals. In fact, if you used
LEED, Gail’s work has touched your life.
14 years ago when I first met Gail, I pondered “How
can someone so goofy be so brilliant at the exact same
time?” Her talent and spirit inspired me then and
still does. I considered Gail one of my green building
family and once again thank her for bringing so many
of my family back into my life this week. Particularly
poignant for me after feelings of abandonment due to
the new LEED Faculty contract. Gail assured me it was
time for transformation and I’m taking her word for it.
Posted 2/4/09 11:49 PM by Jim Grady
Posted 2/5/09 12:50 AM by Brad Guy
Posted 2/5/09 10:12 AM by Jim Newman
Gail was among the most joyously inspirational people
I have ever met. I think all of us who had the great
good fortune to know her will carry her delight and
love of life with us. I wrote last night, while trying to
come to grips with my own mixture of great sadness
and deep gratitude and the echo of her laughter in my
mind and heart:
Such a tragic loss of a most beautiful spirit who
touched so many. She lived (and gave) fully in her
too short years. She would want us to be inspired to
do the same. I’m sending a virtual hug to all who are
saddened by her passing.
I never met Gail in person, however we spoke on the
phone several times as I shared with her my plans
to launch my development company. The two short
telephone conversations we shared were enough to
energize me through the next four years. Gail is and
will forever be a power house of influence in my life as
a green developer.
A Gail-force wind stopped blowing yesterday
In the momentary stillness that followed
an exuberant wave of joy
harmonized with the sorrow
in the chambers of open hearts
everywhere
What a shocking news! Gail was our US team leader
during 1998 GBT Assessment and Evaluation in
Vancouver. Her energy, spirit, and relentless effort in
driving for excellence forced us to be better designers.
Beyond our tears, we know there is a beautiful angel
watching over us.
Posted 2/5/09 10:47 AM by Karl Bren
…She was one of the pioneers of the USGBC and LEED
and an amazing person to train with and be inspired
by as she was truly a force for positive change. She
helped facilitate the very first Eco Office charrette at
Greenprints and helped us learn how to do charrettes
(also contributing greatly to our first online module).
On a personal note, she introduced me to Richard
Louv’s book, “Last Child in the Woods” which has been
influential in how I am trying to raise my children. I
will miss her and so will the green building world.
…I will always remember Gail as a very inspiring
person who radiated joy and a zest for life.
Posted 2/5/09 1:30 AM by Gail Brager
I too feel a special bond to Gail. Although I only
worked with her a few times, in our passing
conversations I knew she was quite a mystic and an
“old soul.” She reminded me of an old saying “Being
happy is another way of being wise.” Her wisdom/
happiness was contagious and I am glad I was able
be in her circle, even if briefly. I am saddened at her
sudden passing but oh what a legacy she left while
here… see you later Gail.
I met Gail in 1997 at a Natural Step workshop in
Washington, D.C. that she helped to arrange at the
Department of the Interior. I had a powerful feeling
of being meant to meet her right then; she was so
welcoming and encouraging as I took my first steps
into the world of green. Reading the stories of her
many accomplishments, I am awestruck and so deeply
grateful for her tireless work. She is not only a mentor
to so many, she is a great inspiration—and will continue
to be in these coming days of great transformation.
Thank you, Gail, for your pivotal role in launching
my own journey.
I did not have a lot of contact with Gail—having her
come to speak at an event a few years ago, seeing her
at some conferences—but I have thought of her often.
She was a one-of-kind and had such a unique vision of
green building as a place of spirit and hope. I always
thought of her as the embodiment of green building not
as a science but as a form of soulfulness. I am so sorry
to hear this news, she was a beautiful human being and
I am sure touched many, many people as she did me.
Posted 2/4/09 6:09 PM by Charles Brown
17
Until we finally meet.
Smiles,
Chris Walker, Barbados
Posted 2/5/09 10:46 AM by Chris Walker
Posted 2/5/09 10:57 AM by Sue Barnett
Gail was a true inspiration. Her contagious spark
ignited the “green” in many of us and I will always
remember her smile, optimism, passion and hope for
the future.
Posted 2/5/09 11:28 AM by Douglas Brinkley
I first met Gail 10 years ago when I became leader
of the Green Building Challenge Canadian team. At
every international planning meeting and conference
throughout that process, Gail’s infectious spirit and
enthusiasm for the cause (not to mention enthusiasm
Posted 2/5/09 3:26 AM by Hofu Wu
continued K
18
for new shopping opportunities) were something to
look forward to. Throughout those difficult years
America couldn’t have asked for a better ambassador,
representing what is best about your nation to
the world. Thanks, Gail, for your inspiration and
encouragement.
Posted 2/5/09 12:35 PM by Alex Zimmerman
This is very sad news. Gail was a wonderful, beautiful
person. To her husband and family, I’m so sorry for
your loss. Just know that so many of us think so
highly of her. I will miss her.
Posted 2/6/09 1:04 AM by Chris Hammer
Such loving tributes for lovely Gail. Just reading them,
thank you everyone, brings back her larger-than-life
spirit, wisdom, humor and generosity—all that is good
in life. And we find her still nurturing that sense of
community. Thank you, Gail.
I met Gail years ago when she was just beginning to
hear her calling to sustainable architecture. It seemed
like a quixotic journey, but she threw herself into it
in a way that made me know that she would be heard.
And she certainly WAS heard, but her message was
never shrill, but always positive, always happy. An
inspiration! Thanks Gail!
Posted 2/5/09 2:23 PM by Christine Ervin
Posted 2/6/09 8:34 AM by Larry Sherrill
I first met Gail almost 20 years ago. Green building
was starting to get the press it deserved and Gail and
I thought North Carolina could help push it to the
front. We started the North Carolina Green Building
Council, became good friends and, for a short time,
business partners. Whenever I think of Gail, I see
that wonderful smile that was so contagious. She
completely filled every room she was in. I’ve never
seen anyone who could bring people with diverse
opinions together the way Gail could. She was pure
goodness. My heart aches.
I met Gail many, many years ago, I took her to an
Interface event in Seaside Florida and we took an
Aikido class with Thom Crum. We knew then that
we would be friends forever, which we were. Don’t
you know that Gail is “greening” heaven as we speak
getting it ready for all of us. Gail I love my chime
and my pin made from a discarded key (that has been
made into an angel). We never did get enough time
together but I hope to see you soon.
Posted 2/5/09 4:32 PM by Bobbi Tousey
I keep, in my head, seeing Gail with her wonderful hot
pink wig at the award ceremony at Greenbuild 2007!
Whenever Gail entered a room the whole place came
alive. Last time I saw Gail at the Raleigh Environmental
Awards ceremony and she looked wonderful. I am glad
we had a very nice chat. According to the Bhagavad
Gita the soul never dies but just changes covering as a
body changes clothing. It is good to know that Gail has
moved onto a new and healthier body that she can use
to go on doing the work that she has always been so
passionate about. I hope that every one who has ever
known Gail would pledge to keep moving forward with
all our dedication and energy to keep this planet that
she loved so much healthy and safe. My life has been all
the richer having known her. Thank you all for sharing
her memories with all of Gail’s friends and fans.
Posted 2/5/09 9:35 PM by Jyoti Sharma
Posted 2/6/09 11:59 AM by Joyce Lavalle
I first met Gail at AIA’s Grassroots in 1996 after
she had become the new Vice Chair of COTE. Her
contagious inspiration for sustainable design
immediately engulfed me as it did everyone with
whom she came in contact. We spent the next 4 years
planning sustainability conferences and, when I went
to the National Park Service in late 1999, the very
first thing I had to do was have Gail come and give
training on sustainability. With about 80 people in
attendance, her skill at remembering everyone’s name
after introductions was to be challenged; however, she
didn’t miss one. Those of us in the Federal Government
are forever indebted to Gail for the significant role
she played in making the government green and her
frequent challenge to “think globally and act locally,
but commit personally.” We will sorely miss your
passion, Gail, to move mountains and inspire others.
Terrel Emmons, FAIA
Director for Planning and Development
Office of the Architect of the Capitol
Posted 2/6/09 2:11 PM by Terrel Emmons, FAIA
R e me m b e r i n g Ga i l L i nd s ey
I can’t find enough words to express to fill the gap she
leaves. Thank you Alex & Building Green.
Posted 2/7/09 9:16 AM by Holley Henderson
I have now read so many tributes to Gail that she has,
once again, been able to amaze me with all she has
done and is still able to bring about. I’m so glad that
Alex included the quick snapshot of Gail that I took
during our recent Christmas celebration. It captures
so well her hopeful spirit and playful personality—it’s
the way I remember her and hope others will.
I noted a recurring theme in many of the
tributes—the profound influence that Gail had on the
writers’ lives. In many I could discern a bit about how
she did it, and I realized that I had more in common
with these friends of hers than I had imagined, that
Gail had influenced us in the same way. I shared
with her huge circle of email correspondents my
understanding of how she inspired and changed us:
Gail always saw me as more handsome, strong, intelligent,
and especially good than I really was, and because of this I
felt more handsome, behaved more strongly and intelligently,
and became more good.
Gail reflected back to everyone a better image of themselves—
better put, she showed us Gail’s vision, a true best vision, of
ourselves. She gave us all her full attention and helped us see
what was possible. This allowed us all to face the world with
more assurance, gave us the confidence we might otherwise
have lacked to go out and do great things.
It would be a proud achievement to so positively change one
tenth as many lives in a full life span. To honor Gail’s spirit,
let’s all give it our best try.
Posted 2/7/09 10:57 AM by Mike Cox, Gail’s husband
(and her favorite photographer)
Gail’s influence on my home and professional life was
both positive and permanent. I imagine there must be
thousands more like me—having been similarly blessed.
Posted 2/7/09 11:56 AM by Frank Priznar
Like hundreds of others, I had the unforgettable
experience of participating in a charrette organized
and conducted by Gail. Her stunningly warm smile
and her unmatched ability to immediately connect
with me and every other participant are things I will
always remember about her. Equally remarkable about
Gail, she was totally devoted to the cause of making
19
the world, not a better place, but the best place it can
possibly be.
A few years ago, a friend passed away after a
similar fight with cancer. He asked that his obituary
not read “he passed away after a long battle with
cancer”; but, “he died after a fantastic life”. This
sentiment seems most appropriate for Gail as well. We
will cherish her impact on our lives.
Posted 2/7/09 7:03 PM by Carl Elefante
I met Gail during the Greening of the White House
charrette in 1994 and we connected immediately.
While this connection was incredibly special for me,
I now realize how special Gail was for so many others
and how connected she was to all of you! When I was
with Gail, she would give me her full attention, and
we would have the best, most exciting, exhilarating,
inventive and transformative conversations that
I can remember. She was always upbeat, always
positive, always encouraging and always creative. I’ve
never met anyone else like Gail and miss her deeply,
although I know she will be with me forever. Her
contributions to green building will leave a lasting
legacy; she accomplished so much in such a short
time. For her deep friendship, support, insight, love,
and SMILES, I will always be grateful.
Posted 2/8/09 3:38 PM by Helen J. Kessler
My introduction to LEED and my first complete
sustainable project involved Gail and the late Don
Prowler, back in the 1990’s. I was so fortunate to get it
first hand from both of them. I can’t add to the many
wonderful rememberings except this: thank you Gail,
may we all keep your spirit with us.
Posted 2/8/09 8:10 PM by Jim Benya
It is hard to believe that it was 22 years ago that I
first met Gail. She was a seminar instructor for Texas
Sustainable Building Professional Training Seminars
in Austin. I remember the sparkle in her eyes as she
shared information with us. She sought out personal
connections with folks she met and we soon found we
had both attended Georgia Tech. Although she was in
Architecture and I was in Engineering, we reminisced
about our alma mater but Gail was quick to look
deeper and recognize shared challenges that we both
overcame as students.
Thanks for having this forum to share our
thoughts. Although I recognize that Gail’s husband
continued K
20
r e f lec t ions on g a i l
by Gail’s sister, Jill Lindsey Auman
is not planning a memorial, I hope we gather or
recognize her when we congregate this year at
Greenbuild. Having lost my mother-in-law in 2008, I
know that these gatherings serve a variety of purposes
for those who continue on in life—including closure,
inspiration, and solace.
Posted 2/10/09 9:32 AM by Michelle Reott
All of Gail’s friends in Atlanta and the Georgia Tech
College of Architecture are comforted by the sad news
with still fresh and enduring memories of perhaps the
most remarkable architect in our class. Her incredible
future success was no surprise to us. Truly honored
to have known her and to have shared her friendship
throughout the years.
Posted 2/10/09 10:27 AM by Charles H. Potts
I was so very fortunate to be taught to be a LEED
Reviewer by Gail this past October. I could not be
more stunned or saddened to hear of her passing. In
the ONE day that she taught our class, she made more
of an impression on me than anyone in my recent
memory. Her enthusiasm, intelligence, energy and joy
were totally infectious. She immediately knew our
names, and made time to spend a few minutes with
each of us individually at breaks if we so desired. I
learned more about courage, humor and inspiration
in those few minutes than I can say. We e-mailed
a couple of times after the class, and I would never
have known she had any current difficulties. She
was vibrant and selfless in sharing her passion and
commitment to what she believed in. All this from
spending one day in a class with Gail. She will be
sorely missed, but her spirit and gifts will certainly
live on with the many that she inspired.
and play a part in overcoming her disease. Then there
are the people that she never met but through her
spirited nature and professional work will better the
lives of thousands. Each of us has felt Gail’s energy
and because of it, turned around and helped another
see the truth and love in their own lives. This is on the
personal level. Professionally, think of all the people
(not to mention the planet) she’s impacted simply
by daring to dream about new ways of thinking—
regenerative design, sustainability—and then going
the next step to put those dreams into reality. Think of
generations from now when the world is a cleaner place,
respectful of the environment, people are connected
and impossible isn’t a word. Could Gail be responsible
for this great change?? Of course, that is Gail’s legacy—
not only those personally affected by her life but those
in generations to come that will thrive because of
her love. That’s Gail’s exponential impact, spanning
networks beyond those in her immediate presence. Few
people possess this impact.
I can’t imagine a world without Gail. The best I can
do is take what I learned from her and share it with
those around me. That’s how I’ll honor her life and
make sure her legacy lives on.
Posted 2/13/09 8:31 AM by Tracy Dixon
I knew Gail (and Mike) many years ago, back in the
mid-80’s, but lost direct contact as time passed. I knew
of her activities through professional development
classes and newspaper articles… it was easy to see she
was making an impact in an area of vital importance
to everyone sharing this planet. I’m sad that she’s
gone. 54 is too young. I’m sad that I didn’t maintain
contact with them, too. But as I read all these posts,
I’m happy to know that Gail created a legacy and spirit
of good works that will live on.
Posted 2/11/09 2:34 PM by Amanda Thompson
Posted 2/13/09 11:28 AM by Jeff Bond
When I think of Gail, I don’t think she’s gone. I still feel
her positive, uplifting energy in those she impacted.
The truth is, of those sharing memories, I know her far
less than most. The strange thing is I say that but at the
same time I felt a part of her life. I think that is what
makes Gail stand out from the rest—she’s never met
a stranger and has a powerful way of impacting even
those she interacts with infrequently.
There are those of us she impacted directly,
whether it is helping us gain a new perspective, dream
the impossible, coaching us through a life decision,
passing along a sustainability tip or helping us accept
I had the tremendous good fortune to work with
Gail on a project on Dewees Island in 1998. Her
enthusiasm and depth of knowledge and commitment
to sustainable and “green” building was mind-blowing.
I came away from the process with a much deeper,
clearer understanding of what this movement’s
potential really meant due in no small part to the
presence and clarity of the message that Gail carried.
Our last meeting was over lunch following the
GreenBuild conference in Denver; and, I realized then,
that she was someone whose influence on the future of
the sustainable movement could move mountains.
Posted 2/27/09 4:13 PM by Whitney Powers
■
21
A
s a little girl I had a special friend and creative
spirit who made my childhood a magical time;
her name was Gail. Gail was six years old when
I was born and she was our artist and crafter from
an early age. She fashioned and sewed hand puppets
with detail with a drama script for us. Lucy Goosey
was our favorite, a white goose with a gold fringe mini
skirt that you could shake back and forth. She also
hand designed paper dolls with beautiful clothes and
fashionable accessories! Gail had an eye for fashion
so of course our paper dolls were the best dressed! I
remember her designs and hand sewn clothes that she
passed on to me that I always received compliments
on—a black jump suit which would now be in fashion
and duster coats that she designed before anyone
The Lindsey family in 1964—sisters (oldest to youngest): Linda,
even knew it would become every woman’s best
Gail, Jill, and Lisa.
wardrobe piece (she even hand pinned and attached
the collars!) Gail also hand drew our birthday posters for the front door when guests arrived
they always commented on the adorable clowns or funny faces and the amazing printing with
graphic designs of our names—Lisa and I often had our birthday parties together because
our birthdays were five days apart even though we were four years apart. I also remember
her energy and imagination around play—she wasn’t into dollies but fashion, you bet! She
liked drama and scripting also which tapped into my “ham” side, as I was eager to act out or
perform. She was at ease getting in front of people and now I see it tied into her workshop
creativity as an adult and my love for speaking in front of groups also.
She was always fascinated with travel and other cultures, as well. Our parents afforded
us many opportunities to fulfill these interests. We hosted international students from
University of Miami and Gail was especially drawn to the women from India who gave us
bracelets with mirrors and beads on them and the women from South Africa who told us
amazing stories. She also didn’t mind the Brazilian men’s soccer team that my mom had
over and Gail was one of the first to challenge them to a ping-pong match, winner plays next
round. Gail was at that table a long time as a winner! She was not a big fan of tennis, which
the family participated in, but she was a smash hit at
Ping-Pong and Badminton!
Then as a family we were able to travel the world!
Some of our favorites were Europe, Scandinavia, New
England, Wales and Scotland, and England. Gail had
the travel bug and often was the family photographer
so some of the photos do not have her in them. She
also enjoyed the research and teaching that my mom
and dad put into our trips as mom would read from
the Michelin book and when dad started talking a
lot mom would say, “Jack keep your eyes on the road,
this is a steep area!” We had many fun moments
but I remember we were on top of a mountain in
Switzerland and Gail started making daisy chains for
our heads that were beautiful. It didn’t surprise me
then at her wedding when she chose to wear a braid
of flowers as her head piece instead of fabric. She was
one of the loveliest brides I have ever seen!
Jill and her husband Tim presided over the
marriage of Gail and Mike, 1985.
continued K
22
Gail’s travel bug continued as she headed off to college and we
benefitted as well. While she was at Beaux Arts in Paris we got
to spend Thanksgiving with her over there! It was wonderful!
Her photography had us enraptured with scenes from Istanbul,
Greece, Egypt… And her stories kept us on the edge of our seats
when we weren’t laughing our heads off! At the dinner table
her stories kept us in stitches! Sometimes we would laugh so
hard we might even have a tear or have trouble getting the
food down. Speaking of food, Gail was our experimental cook.
We knew Linda and mom would be bringing out sumptuous
baked goods but Gail, ahem, sorry we didn’t like the sunflower
cookies or the applesauce based recipes that were supposed
to substitute for sugar. Gail’s best dishes were her meals not
baked goods (unless real sugar was used of course).
hairstyles as personality indicator
23
…simply
natural…
Gail also loved getting us together and she started our
“annual sisters’ weekend” the weekend before Thanksgiving
The sisters gather at the Ritz, November 2004. At the left is
about seven years ago. We would head to the Ritz Carlton for
Gail’s only niece (and close confidante), Lindsey Meyers.
a weekend of clubroom amenities, spa treatments, and tea
parties. Mom and the sisters had it nice! It was after mom
passed away that we invited dad to be a part of these times together. We did not realize that last
November our Ritz weekend would be our last time with Gail as a family group together. This is
what she would have wanted though for final family memories to be filled with laughter and jokes
about how many courses we could cover in the club room since the dishes were so petite! Gail also
was instrumental in marking our mother’s passing with an invitation for the family to gather in
Switzerland at the Waldhaus, one of mom and dad’s favorite vacation spots.
Gail was a very thoughtful person and impacted so many lives on so many levels. Only two weeks after
her passing I was asked to preach a sermon at my church and I included some of Gail’s experiences and
life wisdom in my message called, “Mining for Gold.” In her little booklet, Believing Impossible Things,
she shared much of her life story and wisdom which I repeated. Many commented after my sermon
that Gail must have been a truly remarkable person and my message was a fitting tribute. I continue
to see Gail as an instrumental person in my life from my love of family and extending hospitality
to strangers, to my calling into my life’s profession as a pastor which largely took place at the time
of her aneurysm and struggle to survive, and my desire to make this world a better place through
participation and deepening relationships.
by Mike Cox [with knowing asides from Joel Todd]
She also made a huge impression on my own children. Jonathan, our eldest son, saw Aunt Gail as the
“cool” Aunt who wore black jeans, loved laughing, spending time with him, and believed in him and
his abilities. And Micah who shared her love of Japanese culture and art and loved sitting upstairs on
the futon in her “Japanese themed” office when we came to visit. They loved her stories and Jonathan
especially loved her stories of Manhattan where he recently attended a spring term at NYU film school.
I even attribute my recent venture in becoming a head pastor to many of Gail’s encouraging comments
on my life journey. Like everyone else talking to a younger person, Gail asked me the standard “What
do you think you will want to do when you grow up?” question. At the same time, she let me know that
nothing was fixed, by adding that she herself was “still growing.” She told me I had gifts for teaching
and speaking and she would love to see me develop them even further. For her and for myself, I am
claiming it now and I know she is watching over me, saying, “Way to go Sister!”
The old saw “There is nothing constant but change” met its physical embodiment
with Gail Lindsey. This was sometimes a challenge to her husband, who had to
contend with the possibility of coming home from work to discover yet another
wholesale rearrangement of the contents of all kitchen cabinets and drawers. A
sudden strong need for a cold beer reinforced by an inability to find the current
location of the bottle opener.
Words can never contain all the feeling and emotion and impact I have felt with her in my life, but I
hope these few can be a simple tribute. ■
continued K
24
G
ail’s ever-changing hairstyles have been
remarked upon and listed as a suitable concept
for a write-up in “Project Gail,” as we have
come to call this compilation of articles, emails, and
anecdotes. I have agreed to compose the opening
salvo. [Note from Joel, girl friend—here is where Gail was
like all of us—rarely happy with her hair, wondering when
in her busy schedule she would have time for a haircut.
See the cartoon that we laughed about—and also felt it
conveyed an ultimate truth.]
As a proper husband, I of course absolutely adored all
of her many hairstyles whether long, short, waved, or
frosted. In truth, though I loved her no less when she
had almost no hair at all (such as when we first met)
my strong preference was for long and natural.
This boring predilection rules out any comments from
me on her “real” hair, so I will restrict my comments
to the many and varied highly unnatural hairstyles
she wore after chemotherapy made wigs mandatory.
While it would be impossible to say that she was
glad to have no hair of her own, Gail enjoyed the
mutability that her wigs provided. Now your shoes
can match your handbag AND your hair. If you want
to make a statement, hot pink or bright blue hair can
certainly add an exclamation point. [Gail also had a
RED wig and RED high-heeled CFMs (if you don’t know
what that means, ask a good friend…]
Gail defied expectations [didn’t she always] and didn’t
begin losing her hair until just after her second chemo
treatment. The clinicians made a point at this second
treatment of admiring her “cute wig,” which was
actually her own hair. By this appointment Gail had
already decided to attend the infusions dressed like
a Rock Star. Her initial fright was behind her—and
with her strength always at its peak just before a
treatment, she marched in boldly and with immense
style. This was clearly opposite of the standard
demeanor witnessed in the “chemo-parlor” and it
garnered Gail considerable attention and approval.
For the third visit (the first without her own hair), she
decided to make the boldest statement possible, with
bright “hot pink” tresses. The parking lot was full and
it took a while to find an empty slot. When we stepped
out of the car, we were unexpectedly greeted by one
of the nurses who confusedly murmured, “Oh – I’m
sorry.” It took some needling, but I finally got her to
explain: No one had ever – ever – arrived for a chemo
H a i r st yle s a s Pe r s on a l it y I nd ic ator
infusion in a hot pink wig, and when our car went by
the front door, they had seen no more than the pink
hair pass by and assumed that someone had sent in a
“rent-a-clown” to cheer up someone inside, and this
nurse had been sent out to make it clear that “this
kind of thing just wasn’t done.”
Gail’s wigs were a hit not just with the staff, but also
with many of the patients, who came by in their ball
caps and scarves to tell Gail that they admired her
spunk and that it lifted their spirits.
She eventually compiled a fairly large wig collection,
somewhere south of a dozen. Most cost far less than
a trip to a hair stylist but provided her much more
enjoyment. She received many compliments on her hair
from people who had no idea that it wasn’t real. She
delighted in these incidents and loved to recount them.
[Gail had names for some of the wigs—one was the “Junior
League” hair (booooring!). She loved doing a whole outfit
around the wig and even create a “persona” – once, she
was getting out of her car wearing red wig and CFM
shoes. A man in an adjacent car was struck by her style
and just had to tell Gail how “cool” she was” – What fun
for her!!]
25
I recall one instant of remorse related to her wig
collection. Don’t quote me on the details, but the
gist is this: Late in 2007, the US Green Building
Council lobbied hard for Gail to attend their
annual convention, just as she always did. Gail was
in a rebound phase, but let them know that her
stamina hadn’t yet sufficiently returned. However,
they weren’t taking no for an answer. Finally they
revealed that they wanted her there so that she could
personally receive a major leadership award in front
of about 10,000 people in the only building in Chicago
large enough to house them all. Gail relented after
receiving assurances of “kid-glove” treatment that
would allow her to reserve her energy, and she had a
fantastic time meeting friends that she had not seen
in most of a year […and her friends treasured that time
with her]. The moment of remorse—Gail had planned
to receive the award in her bright bold blue wig, but in
all the excitement forgot to make it happen. [It didn’t
matter—everyone loved her anyway. Of course.]
[Gail wasn’t vain. Her interest in fashion and hair was
rooted in aesthetics not vanity—she loved beauty in
everything and she had fun creating it. We all need to
remember that she was a “real girl” in addition to being a
hero for many of us. How much of that “real” stuff can we
take with us and embody in every day of our lives?]. ■
26
endu r i ng i nc a ndescent s
A
Greg Franta and Gail were a
powerhouse training team.
They were similar in that they
were brilliant, funny, engaging
speakers, and they cared deeply
about their work—“just saving
the planet,” as Greg would say.
Greg was famous for his jokes,
costumes, and irreverence for
all things stuffy. Like Gail, he
traveled the world, making it a
better place. Like Gail, he had
found the love of his life and had a
wonderful marriage.
There were also some differences
that made this an “interesting”
partnership: Gail was the ultimate
in advance preparation while
Greg would arrive at 10 pm the
night before a workshop and want
to meet with Gail to “just go over a
few changes in the powerpoints.”
He would party into the night
and show up the next day bright
and ready to go, while Gail
always wanted her sleep before
a workshop. He was the technical
energy expert who had all of the
data while Gail was about the
learning process (a difference
that enhanced their workshops).
Most importantly, though, their
students loved them and, like
Gail, Greg changed many lives.
Greg died in February 2009,
barely a week after Gail.
— Joel Todd
teac he r, m ot iv ator, i nspi r at ion
27
by Rob Watson
friend of mine once met the Dalai Lama and asked him what was
necessary for people to solve the environmental crisis. “Radical
Confidence” was the reply: the belief that, no matter how bad things
seemed, people could learn how to live in harmony with the planet and that
things would get better.
In the last month, Gail Lindsey and Greg Franta, two giants of
sustainability—each of whom was the embodiment of Radical Confidence—left
us far earlier than any of us could have ever imagined in our worst nightmares.
Incandescent lives, like light bulbs, always seem to go out too soon.
Gail Lindsey, Principal Pixie of Design Harmony in North Carolina, having
battled back from a near-fatal brain aneurism and breast cancer, succumbed
to liver cancer February 2. Greg Franta, who took over Rocky Mountain
Institute’s Green Design Services, went missing while driving home after
having dinner with his daughter. Greg’s car was just found in a ravine off a
mountain highway two days ago. [Greg was reported missing on February 10.]
Anyone who ever met Gail was immediately struck by her RADIANCE
and it wasn’t just her larger-than-life blue eyes and Megawatt smile. Gail
was the embodiment of Radical Confidence in a positive future. Some of
my fondest memories of Gail were an outrageous PDA with my wife during
the Greening of the White House, contemplating how the green building
movement would survive if our small plane going to the Grand Canyon Park
Charrette went down, reading medicine cards and delving into their deeper
meanings and soaking in a hot spring next to the Yellowstone River with
several other long-time green building stalwarts. I’m always amazed at how
philosophical people are who have overcome the kinds of challenges Gail
faced. She always looked at them as an opportunity to learn, but in the end,
she wrote to a friend that she was “ready to let go of learning thru pain and
suffering and INSTEAD go for learning thru creativity and JOY!”
While at NRDC, I had recruited Greg Franta from a long list of applicants
to help the Belorussian government design some sustainable housing to
relocate villagers who were forced to leave their homes due to radioactive
fallout from Chernobyl. My first meeting with Greg was in Frankfurt airport
on our way to Moscow. The flight was about to leave and Greg was nowhere
to be found; I was paging him every couple minutes with increasing panic.
Suddenly this lanky, long-haired figure comes around a corner, saying with
an impish grin, “I’m here.” There was no worry or stress in him, just Radical
Confidence that he could go to a new city without any clue how to get around,
tour Frankfurt’s architecture and make it back to the airport in 4 hours to
make his flight on time. At the time, I wasn’t sure whether to hug him or
throttle him, but to paraphrase Rick from Casablanca, it was the beginning
of a beautiful friendship.
Are they GONE? Strangely, I don’t feel it. Given how crazy things have
gotten with my life, it got so that I was lucky to see each of them once, maybe
twice, a year. An energizing, flash-bulb encounter that left me dazzled and
smiling, and thinking fond memories from earlier, less complicated days
(damn, I’m sounding old…), but soon the background noise would overcome
their strong signals & ‘life’ would resume.
Now, I think about them every day. Every day, I see the programs and
organizations they’ve created or influenced. Ironically, on some level Gail and
Greg are more present in my life than they were before. So, while their physical
bodies are gone, their incandescent energy and vitality still live on. ■
The MOMA
stairmaster—
impromptu
performance art,
October 2008.
by Joel Todd
Gail was an inspired
teacher—in her workshops,
classes, and charrettes, she
presented the necessary
content, but more importantly,
her enthusiasm was
contagious. She inspired
people to want to learn
more, to join this “green”
movement, to do something
different in their jobs, to do
something different with
their lives. Many arrived as
skeptics and left as converts.
T
his amazing ability came from her heart—
because she believed so passionately in the
deep values underlying our efforts in green
building, sustainability, and caring for one another
and the planet. She radiated a positive energy that
transformed all but the most hardened curmudgeons
(and yes, there were a few—she would worry about the
one negative evaluation after a workshop, not bask in
the many “outstanding” ones).
Gail also had a few “tricks” in her repertoire. One of
the best was the way she opened most workshops—
after everyone went around the room and introduced
themselves, she would ask them to cover their name
tags and then she would go around and name every
person. (Note – in a big crowd, I would hold my breath
and cross my fingers, but I never saw her miss, though she
would sometimes “fake” a hesitation near the end – just
to heighten the drama!) By the time this was over, she
had won most of the crowd—the skeptics were willing
to give her a chance—and everyone listened carefully
knowing that she could call on them at any time—by
name. Everyone thought she had some sort of gift,
but like many things Gail did, this was a combination
of gift and hard work. She would come early to the
workshop room, make sure everything was set up
correctly and equipment was working, make sure
the materials were there, etc. (she was a complete
continued K
28
perfectionist!) Then, as people began to arrive, she
focused all of her attention on meeting each one, and
spending enough time with them so that she would
remember them.
Gail used personal anecdotes and stories to drive home
the content of her workshops—and to add some humor.
When discussing how to choose greener materials, she
told the story of an important “material choice” she
had to make – following a brain aneurysm in her 20s,
her surgeon asked whether she would prefer a plastic
or metal plate in her skull – in a very funny way, she
described the kinds of issues she considered: Did she
want to set off metal detectors at airports for the rest
of her life?? Would the plastic leach toxins into her
brain forever??
Gail was famous for keeping lists to five items—in
her training and in her writing. She said that she
had learned at Duke that people could only really
remember a sequence of seven items; she said she was
a little slower (!!) and liked to keep it to five. After
discussing five items, she would often hold up her
hand, fingers spread, and note that each of the five
items could be viewed separately, but when taken
together (she makes a fist) they become much more
powerful. The fist came down and smacked her other
hand – POW – a nice analogy and great message for
collaboration and also for considering things as a
whole rather than in isolation.
r e m e m br a nces f r om f r iends
Gail was one of the most in-demand LEED trainers,
often working with Greg Franta, another tragic loss
this year. They were specifically requested to put on
workshops for the Pentagon and military bases—and
she refused to change her upbeat, fun presentation
style to make it more serious and “military.” She did
have one minor incident because of her lack of military
acumen. An Air Force officer took issue with the use of
“green” in an exchange that ran something like this:
Him: “Green is the Army’s color.”
Gail: “Oh, for their outfits.”
Him: “Those are uniforms, ma’am.”
They still loved her.
29
While a picture
may be worth a
thousand words,
sometimes a
single pair of
words can tell the
entire story.
She enjoyed our greening workshops for the National
Park Service, not just because we went to wonderful
locations. These workshops often combined ardent
environmentalists with more skeptical maintenance
workers, rangers, and others—her JOY was seeing the
faces of those skeptics light up when they “got” the
message and became green “champions” in their parks.
Gail was occasionally approached at an event by a
budding “green architect” who felt a need to let her
know that the choice of profession was a direct result of
attendance at one of her lectures or workshops. Because
the magnitude of Gail’s talent far outstripped the size
of her ego, she never failed to be amazed and gratified.
Gail changed lives—this was her gift.
■
Two terms need to be defined: Gail’s “Joy Emails” and “Gail’s Monster Email List.”
Gail worked best in the visual realm.
Never afraid to speak her mind…
Mixing with the big boys at the Grand Canyon.
Gail’s social nature and her determination to make the best of her latest “life lesson”—her
bout with breast cancer—were the genesis of her Joy Emails, and the popularity they
enJOYed begat the Monster Email List. Gail was resolved that her illness would neither
define her nor control her. Instead she combined the daily self-awareness it brought with
the time that her convalescing gave her to bring more joy into her life. She researched the
very concept of happiness and shared her internal and external findings and questionings
with others in the Joy Emails, whose distribution list grew to include over 200 like-minded
souls. The give and take in these messages was truly one of her greatest comforts, and
many of the remembrances on these pages come from the members of this team as they
comforted each other after Gail’s death.
continued K
30
G
ail was my first green building hero. Our mutual project—EPA’s ENERGY STAR
program for commercial building design—gave me my start in the industry and
introduced me to Gail. Once I had the green building bug, Gail’s energy added a very
real hook. I suddenly realized her vast accomplishments, and reveled in the time I got to
spend with her. My team leaned on her for real industry advice, which, of course, she often
delivered in a concise set of 5 themes. As I started exploring green building more deeply,
Gail took time to talk with me personally over the phone and at conferences to unearth my
interests, skills and potential career paths. These conversations, and her energetic cyberconnections with industry leaders that followed, remain my favorite memories of Gail. As
I look back on those e-mails, I especially appreciate Gail’s unyielding confidence in me.
Whether directly or in introducing me to others, I felt like an all-star despite my rookie
uniform. And still today, connections through Gail are landing in my lap at just the right
moment. Thanks, Gail, for being an inspiring role model, a superstar connector, and an even
better friend. I’ll miss you a lot.
R e me m br a n c e s f rom F r ie nd s
laughing at herself along the way! I also remember
looking at her ‘before’ picture—and thinking I’d be
pretty darn happy to have a body that looked like her
before shot!
Though I will miss her terribly, remembering her
will bring delight for years to come. Every day I wear a
bracelet that she gave me that has funky colored glass
beads and 3 silver ones that say ‘live, love, laugh’—she
personified that more than anyone I know!
Thanks to Mike for letting us know that Gail did
feel supported (though not sure we could possibly give
back all she gave out) and to all who joined together
in the daily visualizations—it felt good to be part of
a community of people brought together for a great
purpose—something Gail did so well.
■ Jared Silliker, Seattle, Washington
Blessings,
■ Jane Norton
I
knew of Gail long before I knew her as a fellow faculty member. The thing that stands out
most to me was her joyful enthusiasm. It seems that whatever contact one had with her,
she was unerringly reassuring and positive. She was gifted as being naturally pleasant
and bubbly. Plus, it seemed she always had another talent to be unearthed every time I would
meet her, such as her ability to remember the names of all attendees prior to teaching a
seminar. While many of us are in the green building field and in the USGBC family, she was
a bona-fide early and forerunning advocate and promoter of green building. There was a
genuine integrity to what she brought to our field and she will be missed. Her tagline said it
all: Smiles, Gail.
With smiles and sadness,
■ Marc Mondor, evolveEA, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
G
ail will always be my personal inspiration—in so many ways and
on so many levels. I, like all of you, was honored by her friendship,
love, JOY, passion, SMILES, and more beyond words. The tear in my
heart will be mended by her spirit.
I wanted to share with you all the ‘motivational’ picture that Gail
sent me back in 2002 and I have hung at my desk since—her wonderful
and wacky way of teaching me that anything is possible if you are true to
yourself first. I can’t help but SMILE when I think of Gail, and I know she
is SMILING on all of us!
■ Pete Schubert
T
hanks for sending this, Pete. I was crying after reading another
e-mail about Gail (from another list) and then started laughing
when I saw this. I remember when Gail showed me that picture of
her Body for Life transformation—I asked her if she had photoshopped her
head onto someone else’s body I was so amazed! and then realized that
of course she wouldn’t ever do something like that because she always
took the path of total commitment to accomplish extraordinary things,
I
have loved this photo of Gail since the first time
I saw it in Pete’s office—where it was hung to
generate the maximum amount of INSPIRATION!
So I can testify to what Pete is saying!
And like Jane, I too have been a beneficiary of
Gail’s extraordinary generosity! I have one of those
bracelets. It has always brought JOY when I have worn
it—not to mention compliments. It will mean even
more when I wear it in the future.
What an absolutely amazingly wonderful
human being!
■ Linda Rimer
W
ow, everyone. It’s such a privilege to be
included on this list of Friends of Gail. I only
knew her for a little over a year, and she
had such an impact on me. I can only imagine what
it would have been like if we would have known each
other longer.
I met Gail and Mike in March of 2007. I heard that
another patient (Gail) at my oncology clinic, (I’m also
a breast cancer “warrior”) where I had hung the 4th
annual student art exhibit as an elementary school art
teacher, was interested in one of my students’ pieces...a
little wire rabbit sculpture made by a dear fifth grade
boy. I asked my student if he would be interested in
selling his art (which is not a common thing to do) and
he thought it over and told me the next day that he
would be happy to give it to her if she would make a
donation to a “cause” in exchange.
31
I appreciated his wonderful, generous idea, and
then had an idea of my own. Our school had taken
on a project, to raise enough money send our school’s
beloved custodian, at the suggestion of another little
student who had interviewed him for our school’s
newspaper, on his Dream Trip to San Francisco to see
the Golden Gate Bridge. (Our school was successful
in that project, and our custodian did get to go to
San Francisco, was treated like royalty, and even got
interviewed for Good Morning America!)
Gail gladly agreed to make the donation, and I
arranged to meet her and Mike at the clinic when she
was there for an office visit, to make the “transaction.”
:) I’ll never forget meeting them. Gail seemed like the
person I always wanted to be, if my own growing up
circumstances had been different. We had the same
commitments, the same interests, and the same belief
that anything is possible. That day, she not only gave
me the donation for the Dream Trip project, she gave
the little student artist a donation too, along with a
beautiful letter written to him, and wrote me a letter,
and wrote my wonderful principal a letter too. And
she gave me a copy of her little book she had written
called “Anything is Possible”. Wow.
I showed that book to many people... it was just
so cool to find someone who had similar ideas, and
who had accomplished so many things I had only just
dreamed about doing.
She and I continued to talk from time to time,
I visited her some while she was getting chemo,
and she was a very strong presence in our breast
cancer support group, even though due to her other
activities, she wasn’t able to meet with us often. We
knew of her JOY and her SMILES and her amazing
spirit always, though! Every time I called or emailed
Gail, she was so, so generous with her time and
wanted to do whatever she could to encourage me in
my own ventures. I will be forever grateful to her for
that.
I’m now an “advocate” for JOY and SMILES and
GENEROSITY, delightful lives, and even having
as much fun as is humanly possible...smile... and
for women going through this ordeal to be fully
taken care of. (and I now have a huge interest in
sustainability... which I never really even gave much
thought to before!)
It is so perfect that I read the recent emails and
saw Gail’s “bod” photo after I just came home from
a meeting with the co-directors of a program at the
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, called Get
Real and Heel. They have a fabulous research based
program to use exercise and recreation to empower,
continued K
32
encourage, and help in many other ways, breast cancer patients and survivors. A diagnosis
like that is a fragile time in anyone’s life, and it’s so great that there are people like the
directors of this program who understand and want to help. I went to talk to them today
about the possibility of working with them in some capacity, and help them expand their
fabulous program, and get more funding. I had no idea that when I got home, I’d see that
photo of Gorgeous Gail—all fit and fabulous!
I’ve been thinking of something really meaningful to do in Gail’s memory, and I realized
as I was sitting in that meeting, that I get to “BE” Gail’s enthusiasm and zest and tireless
energy and visionary leadership. And I get to share it with others through my own life. We all
get to be that, in our own unique ways! That was such a moving thought.
I wanted to “be Gail when I grew up” and I, and we all, actually have an amazing
opportunity to continue her “legacy” no matter what we do in our lives. I wrote to you all a
couple of weeks ago about visualizing healing on a great big scale, starting with me, and us,
and I mentioned my art work, which has that intention too. Gail, and all of you amazing folks
on this list, will always be a part of me. I will never forget this amazing journey of connecting
with her, and now with all of you.
We love you, Gail. You made this Great Big connection, and this Great Big conversation
happen.
I’m just wondering what else will be possible in Gail’s memory? What new discoveries and
innovations will be made when you, who are much smarter and more accomplished than I’ll
ever be, continue to be inspired by Gail and her amazing spirit. There really is no way to even
predict it… all I know is that it will happen, and she will be smiling at us still… with lots of JOY.
■ Beth Palmer
F
riends:
I received the attached file in an email today
from a surprising and somewhat obscure
source—I found myself thinking that maybe Gail had
something to do with this; in any case, I can hear her
laughing… a sound that will never leave me.
It arrived with a 5-word caption…
to Greece and Rome together on holidays, sharing
those early years of college when life was exciting and
filled with surprises—both good and bad. During one
semester her roommate Gail suffered a stroke, causing
her to put her life on hold for almost a year. But she
came back stronger and more full of life than ever. It
turned out that her friend Gail was the woman who
would later become our friend Gail Lindsey—one and
the same. At first it seemed like a bizarre six degrees
of separation coincidence, but the more I got to know
Gail the more I realized that it probably wasn’t a
coincidence at all.
What Gail did best was to love people
unconditionally. I know people say that a lot, but she
really did love everyone… with no expectations other
than to get a smile in return. With Gail, there was
always an abundance of smiles, and I’ll treasure the
memory of each and every one for a long time to come.
■ Rick Fedrizzi, U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, DC
D
ear all,
Gail must be so pleased to see how this
wonderful community has come together the
past few days. Your notes and thoughts and stories
have been very nourishing. I am still finding that my
words can’t express my feelings about Gail right now.
But I wanted to share a small piece of her Believing
Impossible Things booklet with you (she always said
that she wasn’t a writer, but of course she was an
inspired writer):
“I DO believe:
■ John Boecker, Wellsville, Pennsylvania
T
he first time I met Gail was in 1993, during
the Greening of the White House effort under
then President Clinton. There were about 60
“experts” there and everyone seemed to be part of a
Hundreds attend global warming protest
big extended family…except for me. I was a newbie
with a stamp on my forehead that said “clueless
corporate executive.”
To this day I know that Gail felt my pain, and through her magic and love, she pulled me
into the inner circle. She invited me into breakout discussions, offered me a seat at lunch,
and always had a hug and her signature ear-to-ear smile for me at our end of day celebrations.
She went out of her way to make me feel important and included, and made me feel that I had
something important to contribute. She made me part of that extended family.
About 25 years ago I lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and a good friend who lived a floor
above me frequently told me about the amazing roommate she had her freshman year at
Duke, an exceptional woman named “Gail,” who was full of life and adventure. They traveled
• We can change ourselves and how we choose to view
and live life (Choice)
• We can find our own personal truths and share
these with others yet also allow others to find their
own paths and share (Truth)
• We can share the fact that there is no limitation to
the journey of the human spirit by constantly and
consistently empowering ourselves as well as others
(Power)
• We can laugh and giggle 400 (or more) times a day
even as adults! (Fun and Laughter)
• We can remember our oneness with all life and be
grateful for that oneness (Love and Gratitude).
I believe in the impossible and I practice believing
every day. (Sometimes even before breakfast!)”
33
But my favorite is:
“During flight school [yes, she was taking flying
lessons!] I realized one doesn’t have to fly a plane to
have that childlike wonder of “flying high.” Each and
every day has its own adventure—it’s up to each of us
to find the humor and fun in the “flying.”
Take care of yourselves and each other.
■ Joel Ann Todd, Cabin John, Maryland
J
oel, thank you for this and…
I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to point
out that there are FIVE beliefs!
Love and hugs and yes, SMILES to all of you
because surely Gail is smiling at all of us.
■ Linda Rimer
J
oel, thanks for sharing Gail’s beliefs.
I share those same beliefs. One of the many things
that made Gail so special is that she lived life from
those beliefs in a very open way—they were integrated
into her being. That is not something that I have
always been—or even now am always—good at. She will
remain an inspiration for how I want to live my life.
■ Jim Smith
T
hank you for sharing that Joel. And to all of
you for your many stories and thoughts. Your
comment about Gail taking flying lessons (which
I did not know) made me remember the first time I
met Gail back in 1991. She performed another of her
hidden talents, which I’ll reveal in a moment.
I had invited her to the University of Oregon
where I was getting my Masters in Architecture as
part of sustainable building lecture series. She came
and gave an inspiring lecture on green buildings, and,
yes, within the organizational structure of her talk
were “five” topics.
A handful of us took her out after for dinner
and as the evening progressed, she offered to do
Palm Readings for each of us! I had not expected
that!—and I will guess that some of you did not know
this talent! I patiently waited for my turn...she did
mine and among the things she found—with her very
pronounced eyes and smile that we all know and love
continued K
34
about Gail—was a very prominent Promiscuity Line!!
She blushed, I blushed even more... and we have been
cracking up about this ever since.
Her smile and laugh and energy will be
permanently implanted in my mind and body forever.
With all my love, or as Gail would say, Smiles,
■ Gunnar Hubbard
M
ichael, thanks for letting us know about
Gail’s transition in such a beautiful, loving,
supportive way. And thank you for the love
and support you gave Gail. While we only met and I
don’t know you like I did Gail, I feel like I know you
through her, and I know with certainty that you were
the love of her life, and that your love and support
made it possible for her to touch, love and transform
us and countless others.
Words fail me in trying to express myself about
Gail, but I hope with some quiet time I will find the
capacity to share what I am feeling.
Thank you for what you have given us, and know
that we feel your loss and that our hearts and prayers
are with you.
■ Bob Berkebile
So much has been so well said…
Gail continues to be my inspiration:
Gail Lindsey is my role model
Passionate and generous
Driven and optimistic
Visionary and fun
A joy to know
A joy to work with
Bringing richness
to our environment
and humanity to all.
Gail Lindsey is our hero.
■ Vivian Loftness
W
here was I—almost reminds me of 09.11—I
was about to head into this training/
speaking engagement when I found out
about Gail’s passing. I said a small prayer, tried not
to cry my make-up off, and dedicated it to her. I have
cried each day since about it. Why is this? There is
something so incredibly sad about her being gone
from this place. I really contemplated this and here is
what I heard:
Gail being gone is so sad because she represents all that
was good in this world. She was just one of those people who
beamed good energy. The type of person animals and babies
love. If she leaves, that means that all that I love, all that
is dear and beautiful, will someday pass too. You can be
an adult and you can practically understand these things;
but, there is a child in all of us who just has this tiny thread
of hope. Gail leaving is like when you get to the end of the
movie and you want the happy ending and you don’t get it.
Something is just not right. I know she had so much more
grace about this process—“the adventure” but, we can only
aspire to that grace. I feel blessed for having known Gail.
You could almost see the other side in her eyes. Maybe that
is it—she was a glimpse for the rest of us…
■ Holley Henderson
I
actually first met Gail because Rick [Fedrizzi]
found out during EGB drinks that I had moved to
Raleigh in 2005, and said—“Do you know Gail?
You have to know Gail!” I sent her an email literally
saying—“Rick sent me, apparently we need to meet!”
(And for this I am endlessly indebted to Rick!!)
Gail was undoubtedly busy, though you never
would have known it, but met me for dinner
one night and we spent hours talking about the
passion of sustainability. She simplified her role
in green building to what I personally believe is a
ridiculous extent, I secretly suspect—in part—to
make herself more approachable by our generation
who might otherwise have been shy in the face of
her accomplishments. I was telling her that I was
faltering around, not really knowing what to do in
sustainability, thinking that all I felt that I KNEW
how to do (with any confidence) was make connections
between groups, ideas and people. And she said, “But
that’s all I do. I make connections.” Now, knowing her
résumé, that is NOT all she did, but to her I think that
was it in a nutshell. It was looking at the larger scope,
at integrated processes, and making connections.
She connected people—across fields and
generations—with her energy, smiles, enthusiasm,
passion, support, generosity, love and JOY emails.
Locally, she had started a Green Tea event (it just
happened once about a year ago) where “green” ladies
here in the Triangle and beyond could get together
and chat for an afternoon at her beautiful home in
Wake Forest—I made good friends as a result of that
tea, just because Gail brought us together.
I know we all agree that she was taken from us
entirely too early. Those of us that knew her could
never get enough, and I am deeply sorry for those that
didn’t have the opportunity. They missed out on a
vital, powerful, wonderful force of energy and vision
that I will remember, and I thank my lucky stars daily
that I was so blessed.
■ Traci Rose Rider
G
ail Lindsey will always be a sparkling image
of how to live. Beyond her beautiful smile
and kind eyes was the outlook of a sensitive,
positive, balanced, and fun creature. Gail’s knowledge
of the built environment, her vision of a better
planet, and her keen sense of others are attributes
experienced by those that she touched. Her spirit
certainly lives on and on.
■ Brian Dunbar, LEED Faculty, Ft. Collins, Colorado
C
hoices are for people with limits, and to Gail,
limits were optional. We’d be planning an event,
have two great ideas for how to organize a
segment of it. “We have to pick this or that,” I’d say.
But Gail was never willing to abandon a good idea, so
she’d insist we find way to make it “this AND that.”
The resulting integration was always better than
either option would have been alone, and the whole
process was totally energizing.
She passionately fought her illness AND, with
equal passion, strove to accept it.
■ Nadav Malin
T
he Gail chronicles that have been sent over
the last few days are wonderful; after the
shock and mourning, they are a delight and
inspiration to read.
I have loving memories of Gail that are similar to
those expressed. It is remarkable that she influenced
people in so many different ways; all of them with
love and enthusiasm in the truest sense of that word. I
thought I knew a lot about Gail. Based on the range of
experiences shared in these emails, I barely scratched
the surface of this amazing person. WOW and WHEW!
One addition I can make is that Gail was the only
person I’ve met who could carry and inspire lengthy
conversations without repetition, boring topics, or
35
self-centeredness. She demonstrated that in numerous
multi-hour talks and in particular on an eight hour
drive we made from one conference to another
event. It was non-stop talk and as I was driving and
it was late at night, this was good. The thing about
conversations with Gail is that they were not simple
discussions or debates; they were dialogues—with a
clear openness and curiosity. While certainly Gail
expressed a lot that came from her own experience,
these conversations were opportunities that Gail used
to bring out the best in you—and were used to explore,
learn and go deeper into any subject.
What a great community of people that have been
brought together by Gail and the common compassion
for the larger world that she helped inspire in us.
Love with the smiles Gail gave us,
■ Bill Reed
G
ail has been a role model and a mentor for
me and so many others. She was entirely
fearless, approaching big questions and life
challenges with clarity, directness, love and joy. I met
her back in the early 1990’s when I was working on
a new headquarters project for the EPA, and she was
advising them. She was an early pioneer who inspired
me and encouraged me to speak up and find my own
voice. Later she invited me to join the AIA COTE
Advisory Group which she was actively reconstructing
by recruiting a second generation of leaders to replace
the original founders who had generously given so
many years of their time. Gail’s enthusiasm for the
work of sustainability was contagious to all that she
came in contact with. She had a talent for engaging
even the most skeptical audiences by keeping the
issues clear and simple, engaging lots of partners,
listening and gently guiding them. She was a brilliant
communicator because of the passion she shared and
because she had a gift for organizing both people and
ideas. She believed all important concepts could be
organized into “fives”… five categories, five key points,
etc. Gail was a sustainability guide for many, and a
bit of a spiritual guide as well. By radiating joy to all
around her she reminded us that “joy is not in things,
it is in us”… It is sad to lose Gail, however her SMILES
and her brilliance will live on. It is now up to all of us
to share her light with others.
■ Sandy Mendler, AIA, Principal
MITHUN architects + designers + planners
36
B e i n g Ga i l
bei ng g a i l
by Liana Silsby
Dear “Friends of Gail”:
The alarm on my sports watch beeps softly everyday at noon; I pause, think of Gail fondly,
and know that somewhere, at some level of being (as yet unknown to us), Gail is fine… being
Gail… the essence of a sharing, generous, and joy-full spirit!
The e-mail bringing news of her passing was a shock—yet after the heartache and tears, I
take comfort from knowing that Gail was always “ahead-of-her-time”, and although we may
not feel it was time for her to leave us, it was time for her to move to the next level—free of
physical limitations and boundaries.
The day after the e-mail from her husband Mike, I went to my favorite Florida beach for a
noon “visualization” with Gail. It was a cold day (for Florida)—in the 40s (and windy)—and
I was dressed quite warmly. I brought lots of tissues, laid out my beach towel, sat down, and
took in the beautiful clear blue sunny day. Tears slid slowly down my eyes… But… in a very
short while… they stopped… and I felt enveloped by calmness, warmth, and peace… Very
similar to what several of you described in your e-mails relative to that day. I stayed for about
thirty minutes… and a little seagull sat quietly next to me the entire time. Perhaps it could
sense the same warmth and comfort that I was feeling… (or maybe it couldn’t understand why
someone was sitting on the beach in ski clothes!)
As “background” for those I do not know, Gail was one of my very best friends from junior
high school and through the years thereafter. We were cheerleaders at Palmetto Junior and
Senior High in Miami, were in many classes together, and shared a great group of friends.
Gail was smart (National Honor Society) and very well-liked (one of 16 voted into the 1972
Hall of Fame in a graduating class of over 1,000). Her artistic flair was already quite evident
(AMAZING caricature drawings of people and CREATIVE fashion designs). We both went to
Duke University for freshman year, after which, she transferred to Georgia Tech to pursue
her dream of being an architect. She confided in me that there, she met her soul-mate, Mike
Cox. A number of years later, I was thrilled to attend her wedding to Mike, who despite his
protestations, appears to be every bit as intelligent, athletic, and “cool” as
Gail has portrayed him.
We remained close through now-and-then LONG phone chats, bringing
us up-to-date with each other’s lives. I heard lots of stories… many
punctuated with eye-opening wonder, inspiring quotes, facts from her
latest readings and research, and a giggle or two… all GENUINE GAIL.
In fact, I feel as though I know some of you through these stories. Our
conversations often covered our mutual interests—fitness, health,
intuition, synchronicity, creative consciousness—being open to the
universe, and living our potential.
Our phone chats were free-form, and wide-ranging. Often, a week or so after
our conversation, a big brown envelope with Gail’s characteristic printing
would appear in the mailbox with a copy of one of the books she had read
and recommended. I guess she knew I would find it hard to break away from
the deadlines of work and life issues and add it to my “things-to-do-andread” list. Sometimes, I would read them within the month—and they were
always timely—and perfect for the moment. But, more often, I would put
37
them aside, on my “Books-from-Gail” stack, with the notion of getting to them “as time allowed.”
Inevitably, and usually 2-3 years later, I would be “ready”—and before I went out to buy a book, I
would first check my “books from Gail” stack—and there it was… waiting for me!!
Gail did confide in me that she sometimes wondered if people understood where she
was coming from. In my opinion, she didn’t impose—or confront—but, in the interest of
“evolution,” she was willing to expose herself and put her ideas “out there.” She had a
remarkable ability to think outside-the-box and, significantly, to bring that cutting-edge
visionary quality to a variety of interconnected fields. Most importantly, in addition to
seeing a better world, Gail saw the best in each of us and wanted to help us see it as well!
How blessed we are to have her core beliefs set forth in her own words in Believing Impossible
Things! Personally, I think one of Gail’s greatest qualities was her ability to share her passion
and to bring people together to collaborate… who might not otherwise recognize what they
could accomplish. Even as she leaves us, she is bringing us together.
In the last 5-6 years Gail and I often spoke of what we wanted to do “next.” (Several years
ago, after training and getting certified, I stopped practicing law and now work as a fitness
professional full-time. Gail was there with inspiration and support before I made the
changes… probing, prodding, questioning.
Gail never volunteered any of her awards or accomplishments in our discussions. I would need
to pull it out of her… or read about it in her father’s annual holiday newsletter! Only now,
after receiving some of your e-mails and web site information, have I come to realize how
very accomplished she was, and how much she contributed to her chosen field.
In our discussions over the last couple of years, she mentioned several future projects she was
starting to conceptualize. I wish I had a better memory for details… possibly she left notes. I
believe one of the ideas was to develop community centers for sharing experiential knowledge
of the sustainability, renewal and evolution of the earth, as well as the human spirit. I picture
a beautifully designed, earth and people-friendly place, for children and adults to spend the
day, doing and learning in an atmosphere of pure delight. I truly believe these centers will
come to be… and I urge any with the requisite expertise re: grants, design, and fund-raising
to let us know what we can do to help.
This brings me to the conclusion of these thoughts…. and hopefully, to the beginning of so
much more for each and every one of the “Friends of Gail.” Just writing these thoughts to
many I do not know is difficult for me… and from some of the comments of others, I sense
that many of us tend to be “private“ people with a small circle of friends. But each of us
has something to offer… AND sometimes (and in these times) we do need to step out of our
comfort zones… to SHARE our ideas and our passions, and our skills, whatever they may be.
So, the next time I have an idea that was meant to be shared, and I make excuses to myself
for not stepping up… or when I hear an idea that may be different than mine, but worthy
of consideration, …I will think of what I have learned from Gail… COMMUNICATION,
COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY, COMPASSION, COMMUNITY… and I will take that extra
step, make that call, ask that question, …all in the spirit of living, learning, and loving… and
if anyone says… that’s not like you… or what’s gotten into you… I will just nod and smile, and
tell them not to worry… I was just… BEING Gail!! :)
LOVE and SMILES to ALL,
Liana
38
S he C olored He r L i fe Gre e n
s he color e d he r l i fe g r een
Published in the Raleigh News & Observer, March 2, 2009.
Amber Nimock, correspondent
WAKE FOREST - The world is a greener place for Gail Lindsey’s having been
in it.
An architect by profession, she stretched the boundaries of the field to
carve out a role for herself as a pioneer in sustainable development. Her
dedication to green practices formed the foundation for her home, her
career and her life.
Lindsey died Feb. 2 at age 54 after battling liver cancer and breast cancer.
Through her Wake Forest-based consulting firm, Design Harmony, Lindsey
led innovative projects including the National Park Service’s adoption of
sustainable design initiatives and the improvement of green building and
energy practices on U.S. military bases.
39
Eventually, Lindsey tired of the pace in New York. She joined Cox in Wake Forest, where
he owned a large old house that he had been restoring. Lindsey wanted to create a place of
their own.
Finding the proper setting proved the greatest challenge. Because she wanted to use
innovative energy systems, the site had to have the right combination of exposure to sunlight
and tree cover.
For months, Cox scoured northern Wake County, looking for the perfect plot. He would take
Lindsey to see his finds, only to have her demur, “It doesn’t have a good feel.”
Eventually, Cox found a site he loved, a sloping stand of trees with a spring. He took Lindsey
to see it, and they marveled at one of its trees, a poplar so large it takes three people to get
their arms around it.
Worried about her reaction, he was afraid to ask her.
Lindsey loved it.
She helped the U.S. Green Building Council develop its LEED rating
system, which sets new standards for energy efficiency and sustainable
building practices. She advised organizations around the world and won
many awards, including a gold medal from the North Carolina chapter of
the American Institute of Architects.
Walls of windows
Mike Cox, Lindsey’s husband, says his wife possessed a spirit of joy and optimism that
inspired those around her to believe in greater possibilities. She was guided by her
understanding of a social contract between herself and the rest of humanity.
They built a home with walls of windows that let
the sun warm the interior and make the wooded
landscape part of the decor. Solar panels on the
tin roof heat a system of antifreeze-filled pipes
that circulate to the basement, warming the
house from the bottom up. The floors are laid
with salvaged wood.
Cox says Lindsey believed that “no matter what we accomplish or what standards we set for
ourselves, we are no better than anyone else, and our best measure is how we treat people
that we have no need to treat well.”
Living there allowed Lindsey to realize her
dedication to sustainability every time she walked
through the door.
In a sense, Cox was Lindsey’s silent partner. His steady income as an electronics engineer
gave her the freedom to pursue innovative projects. Architecture can be a tough field, and
sustainable design isn’t always lucrative.
Cox recalls when the builders put in place the
large beams that support the ceiling. Lindsey had not been sure how well her design would
come together.
“It made it easier for her to do what she wanted to do,” he says.
“I just remember her dancing around because she was so excited that they came out so well,”
he says.
She took Manhattan
Cox and Lindsey met as undergraduates at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. They dated while they
were in school and later separated for a while. During those years, Lindsey worked for
world-renowned architect I.M. Pei and earned her master’s degree in architecture from
Columbia University.
“She was living in Manhattan and thought that was the greatest place in the world,” Cox says.
“I couldn’t imagine living there.”
Pushing boundaries
Before she died, Lindsey had taken her work in a new direction. She and a colleague had
created a group called Delving Deeper, which aims to further the principles of the sustainable
development movement by applying them to all aspects of living. Cox says it was typical of
her need to keep pushing the boundaries, to serve as a catalyst for change.
“She definitely wasn’t one to sit still and be happy with the way things were,” he says.
■
40
s he w as m ag ic a l
t r av els w it h g a i l
by Judy Kincaid
I
met Gail in the early 1990s when her firm, Design Harmony, collaborated with work
I was doing in North Carolina on green building. We became very good friends as our
collaboration extended to other green building projects. Outside of work we got together
as often as we could for long, long talks. We laughed a lot. We talked about a lot of weird stuff!
Being with Gail was always, always fun and creative, and also the cause of much introspection.
41
Mike and Gail
at Ghost Ranch
near Abiquiu;
returning in 2006,
eight years after
discovering our
love for the area.
Numerous others have eloquently written about Gail’s many amazing qualities. She was
magical. So I won’t repeat all the wonders that were Gail. I’ll just talk about a few less public
aspects of the Gail I knew and loved.
I want to make sure the world knows how much she loved her family. During our many long
talks over lunch and tea over the years, she told me stories of her beautiful sisters and the
joy of being with them. She loved her mother and father very much and years ago she made
sure that she had written long letters to them telling them how much she loved them and
how much they had given her as parents. She also talked about her love for Mike and what a
wonderful life partner he was.
Gail was also very, very generous. I have many gifts from her, and it’s a rare day that I’m not
wearing earrings or a scarf or a jacket or a necklace or a bracelet or a pin that Gail gave me
over the years. She was always sending me packages with a green theme, because she knows I
wear a lot of green. Sometimes it was a green scarf with a box of green tea, for example. She
also sent a lot of books. And trendy bags. And other things too numerous to list.
We talked about so many important and creative things, but we also talked about girl things.
She had me following in her footsteps to great make-up consultants, sometimes as a gift. She
loved sharing her enthusiasms with other people, and I was a very willing partner in this,
of course. Gail’s enthusiasms are contagious. But not always! I did not get excited about her
passion for flying an airplane or extreme body-building! But I cheered Gail on as she pursued
these projects!
Gail’s gift-giving was loving and joy-producing in many respects, and one
result was that I in turn gave her gifts that I thought would produce the
same effect on her. I also built on her theme and her example of trying to
develop every aspect of oneself as a human being during a lifetime. So I
imagined and gave gifts to Gail to complement the normal kinds of things
everyone knows about her. Once I gave her sexy black lingerie… I gave her
a teddy bear in case she was ever in the hospital… I gave her a pink wig so
she could play dress-up. All of these gifts were before she or I had any idea
she would be diagnosed with cancer. The magical thing was that, although
neither Gail nor I knew she’d need a pink wig, somehow the universe
knew. And I’m convinced that Gail had a direct link to magical forces in
the universe that gave her the things she needed.
It’s a mystery why Gail is not here with us now on a physical plane, but
she lives on in so many, many hearts and somehow her spirit is still linked
to us as we navigate the challenges of making this planet a better place.
I think of her every single day. She called me her “earth angel.” I’m sure
she had many earth angels. For me, though, she was very definitely the
foremost of any earth angel I ever had or ever will have. ■
by Mike Cox, May 2009
Several ideas came quickly to mind when I first heard of Ana’s project to gather
recollections and anecdotes, and high on this list was a section describing Gail’s
peripatetic nature; with input from all of the people around the world that she
traveled around the world with—family, friends, colleagues.
O
ne might expect that someone who traveled
so frequently and far would exhibit some
evidence of wanderlust, of that constant
itchin’ to get moving on. If this was an aspect of
Gail’s personality, I never noticed any indication.
During extended periods (though few throughout her
life) where she had little need to travel; she simply
stayed home and showed no sign of related stress.
It was more that travel was simply an organic facet
of her nature, one that often fit her life’s mission,
whether it be to learn or later to teach.
If you ever traveled with Gail, this fact need not
be mentioned, if you haven’t—it’s key: Gail was a
consummate traveler. By this I mean that she never
became the least bit upset about anything that the
travel gods (demons?) put in her path. She accepted
the delays and indignities without missing a beat, was
unruffled by rudeness and unfazed by fatigue. When
traveling, she was the perfect embodiment of the
martial arts expression “either bend like a willow—or
break like an oak.” Perhaps more supple than a willow,
she became the fluid that flows serenely around all
obstacles until it reaches its destination.
Gail journeyed many miles before she and I ever hit
the trail together, and I plan to ask some of those
other travel companions to relate their experiences. I
continued K
42
may be surprised to find that she was not always this
unflappable and gained these smooth edges only after
bumping angrily against the many sharp rocks on the
road. I would be amused to hear mention of this, but
doubt it will be the case.
More on the consummate traveler concept: If travel
has a Universal Code, Language, or Set of Laws, Gail
understood them all intrinsically. If she ever felt
truly out of her element anywhere on the globe, there
was no outside indication. If she did not know the
local language, she easily got by with gestures and
expressions (I would be the mute scarecrow standing
stiffly nearby). Of course she was helped in this by
an obvious open nature and a knack to get others to
want to help her. She was further aided by an ability to
quickly fall asleep anytime, anywhere, under almost
any circumstances; the only requirement that her body
be allowed to reach some approximation of horizontal.
I traversed three continents with her, and missed
a fourth only due to the repeated breakdowns of a
Spanish rental car. This is one moment when I do
recall Gail getting upset on the road, because she
wanted so much to get to Morocco and the balky
vehicle simply ate up too much time.
Gail was invited to fly to India to give a lecture. New
Delhi & the Taj Mahal weren’t enough, she added a
side trip to Katmandu to visit some people who she
had never met but had been recommended to her.
Once there, on the recommendation of these new
friends she kept a chair jammed under the knob of her
hotel room door and did not open it until they arrived
to retrieve her. To Gail, this was an extra element of
interest, not a frightful or cautionary tale to worry
over or wow her friends with. I hope that I can entice
other “fellow travelers” with a closer knowledge to
recount other tight scrapes that she probably never
admitted to her parents—near abduction in Paris, an
ill-advised solo trip to Egypt, or flying above Croatia
accompanied by goats and gun-toting locals.
Regarding Gail’s parents—they gave her travels
quite a kick-start, beginning with her point of entry
into this world: post WWII Japan, where her Naval
Intelligence Officer father was stationed. Jack later
worked in the airline industry, reaching the positions
of General Counsel to National Airlines and later also
to Pan Am (some years after doing his best to prevent
the hostile takeover of the former by the latter). In
addition to the free flight passes this provided their
four daughters, Jack & Doris took every opportunity
to broaden their brood’s horizons by bringing them
along on trips throughout the world, and by inviting
international guests into their home. It couldn’t have
been a coincidence that our wedding date missed Gail’s
31st birthday by only a day; anything sooner would
have impeded her ability to travel free of charge, this
birthday ending her eligibility for free passes as an
unmarried offspring of a Pan Am executive.
Any missive on the subject of Gail’s travels must
include a grateful mention of Kathy Pearsall, Gail’s
good friend and excellent travel agent. Having such a
masterful professional ready to get Gail out of binds,
alter itineraries in an instant, and give excellent
advice on where to stay certainly made it easier for
her to coast through it all unfazed.
I’m going to quit scribbling now and issue my
invitations to others to provide their own travelrelated recollections. This section will also include an
email I penned over a decade ago as Gail sawed logs
beside me, in the wee hours of an Abiquiu morning.
T r ave l s w it h Ga i l
Editor’s note: An obvious
place to start is from her dad’s
viewpoint; I knew that Gail
had extensive travels at an
early age, but I was not fully
aware that Gail traveled more
miles in her first months than
most people do in their lives.
I asked Jack for suitable
“family travel photos” to
accompany his splendid
recounting of her travels. His
email reply:
Dear Mike: I spent quite a few hours
today going thru old Lindsey photo
albums, particularly those pertaining
to our trips. I was a bit disappointed
but happened upon something
about Gail that I never thought
about before… Most family pictures
included everyone except Gail… It
was Gail who was taking our picture!
And, in family pictures where Gail
was included—despite her relatively
small size—she was always in the
back row, essentially, not calling
attention to herself. Typical Gail!
43
Travels with Gail: Her Father’s “View Point”
(Her father was often standing in Gail’s dust as she ran, jumped, stamped her
feet or did cart-wheels!)
W
e should have known that Gail would be different: she was
“made” in Japan! Gail was born on October 6, 1954 in an Army
Hospital, Camp Zama, Japan. I was a Naval Officer, by then a
Lt. (jg), stationed at a Special Intelligence Unit at Atsugi Naval Air
Station, about half-way between Tokyo and Yokosuka (the main Navy base
and shipyard for the U.S. Navy). I had to take Doris to an Army Hospital
because it was much closer than any Naval Hospital.
Typical Navy man, I had left Doris pregnant back home to stay with my
folks in New York State when I received orders to report to the Navy
aircraft carrier Oriskany in the Japan Sea off the coast of Korea. (Doris
gave birth to our first daughter, Linda, in the same hospital (Peekskill,
N.Y.) were Doris and I were born. Throughout our 56 years of marriage
Doris and I always told people that we were “Born Married”!
Fortunately for me, while on the Oriskany I received an order to report to
the Atsugi Naval Air Station, giving me the opportunity to have Doris and
Linda join me in Japan. After 3 1/2 years of active duty Doris and I and our
two daughters (Linda, almost two years old, Gail, six months old) departed
on a rusty old ship from Japan, stopped at Pusan, Korea to pick up U.S.
Army troops (some of whom had Korean “war-brides” to take home). We
spent 19 days at sea in the Northern Pacific before we landed at Seattle,
Washington. (Gail’s introduction to travel!) We had “fire drills” every day
(every day was “foggy and cold”!) At the fire drills Doris, Linda, and I all
had “life vests” on… I held Gail who was strapped into a life vest (it was
as if I held Gail in a cradle). It was “the last decision” I ever made for my
wife, since we had the choice of either going to Seattle or San Francisco—
All of our friends chose San Fran, as it turned out they were on a much
larger, newer ship and had a great voyage!
We started our “homeward bound” trip out of Seattle because Jack wanted
to drive down the entire West Coast to San Diego, where Jack’s sister and
her discharged Air-Force officer husband now lived. My plan, and what we
completed, was to go from San Diego through the National Parks (Grand
Canyon, etc.); stop in Denver, Colorado (where I had been accepted to start
Law School in the Fall), and continue all the way across the U.S. to our
hometown near Peekskill, NY. TWENTY SIX DAYS on the road! (If today
someone asked me to drive a baby and a two-year-old twenty miles, I’d
turn them down immediately!)
That was Gail Lindsey’s introduction to travel! Because I ended up as a
lawyer (General Counsel), for National Airlines, based in Miami, FL, and
also with Pan American World Airways, based in New York City, Doris
and my four daughters traveled a great deal. I didn’t list my name here
because I always joked, “someone in the family had to work!” All kidding
aside, I obviously had my own share of traveling. Travel was a natural
part of my family’s life… we traveled across the U.S., and across both the
Atlantic and Pacific.
continued K
44
Specifically, as a family, we had wonderful trips to England, Wales and
Scotland. We’ve all enjoyed England, London theatre, Wimbledon tennis
matches, historical sites that we all read about in our history classes. My
mother had been born in Wales—we visited relatives, the exact site of a
blacksmith’s shop where my mother’s Dad and family lived over the shop.
My mother’s mother grew up only a few doors away (“Born Married?), we
enjoyed much of Scotland (the Lindsey Clan came from Scotland… but
arrived “way back” in the late 1700s in the Boston area).
Next Up—Gail Ann Lindsey the business traveler, presented by her good friend Joel Ann Todd:
Globetrotting Gail
G
ail has friends and admirers around the world—she traveled
widely and worked on international sustainability for more
than a decade.
We also traveled a great deal throughout Europe. Years later Gail did
graduate work in architecture at the Ecole des Beaux Art and lived with
a family on the outskirts of Paris. (I don’t speak French so I may have
misspelled that one!) During her graduate work at Columbia University
in NYC she spent about six weeks in Turkey (all of Turkey!), studying
ancient architecture.
Gail’s traveling life began early—she was born in Japan, though she
spent almost no time there, living a few years in Arlington, Virginia,
and then growing up in Miami, Florida. Her father was General
Counsel for Pan Am, which opened many travel doors. She studied at
the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, and then went to Turkey and Italy
on study grants—her stories of trying to maintain a vegetarian diet,
especially in Turkey, are wonderful.
Gail started at Duke, my school, but transferred to Georgia Tech to study
architecture… I remember my wife, Doris, saying to me, “I hope you’re not
upset.” I’ve always been proud of the fact that I answered the same way
regarding all of my daughters… I said, “Whatever any of my daughters
wants to do I’m behind her 100%!”
Editor’s note: Since Jack
had no suitable photos to
accompany his writings about
his travels with Gail, I am
submitting one documenting
that longest journey a father
ever takes with his daughter—
walking her up the aisle on
her wedding day to “give her
away.” In this case it was out
the side door and along the
driveway to the porch where
the marriage was performed.
This lucky and grateful
recipient of that gift can’t help
but again be amazed by the
powerful family resemblance.
Another “tidbit” (Doris and I didn’t know this until well after the fact):
While in Paris with a group of Georgia Tech students, two young men and
Gail rented a car during a school break and traveled to Italy and Greece.
Gail said she’d like to go over to Egypt, but the guys did not want to go
there. Undaunted, Gail bought a round-trip ticket “Athens-Cairo and
return to Athens” where she and the boys were going to re-unite. At the
airport, Gail was in line by herself and right behind her were about “Eight
Farmers” from Nebraska. One asked her, “Where are you going?” to which
she replied, “Just a little side-trip to Cairo, the Bazaar, the Pyramids,
etc.” The farmer said, “By yourself???!!” She said “Sure.” He turned to his
farmer buddies… they talked for only a few minutes, the farmer turned
back to Gail and said, “Are you aware that you can be kidnapped at the
Bazaar!! We’ve decided that you are going to travel with us… we’re going
to all the places you want to go, but we’re going to “double up” some hotel
rooms and let you have a room to yourself… but you’re going to tour with
us!” “Lucky Gail” seemed always to have “Guardian Angels” in this world!
Later in her life she returned to Japan where she had been born, visited
India and Nepal (her stories upon return were always fascinating…).
She lectured in many foreign countries — She and her husband Mike
traveled to Chile in South America and throughout Italy — She was
quite a girl!!! Gail always seemed “at home” in any country and with any
people. A great attribute!!!
As Gail’s Dad, I must say in closing that all of you who knew Gail have been
SO WONDERFUL in carrying out these “gatherings” in Gail’s Memory.
God Bless You All,
Jack Lindsey
45
Joel writes: This is Gail during a trip to
Warsaw for the Green Building Challenge
international committee meeting…
taken in October 2001, right after 9/11…
Interesting time to be in Europe.
We had a standing joke: Whenever
we were doing a project budget— if
there was “extra” money, we would
always shout joyously, “we will buy ball
gowns!”—which of course was as far
from Gail and me as you could get, thus
the joke. In Krakow we found a ball gown
shop and had to take a photo.
Gail recognized that green buildings and sustainability were global
issues and in 1996, she agreed to serve as co-chair of the US Team for
Green Building Challenge, an international effort to address these
issues. Over the next ten years, she won the respect and friendship of
representatives of other teams from more than 20 countries.
I first met Gail 10 years ago when I became leader of the Green
Building Challenge Canadian team. At every international planning
meeting and conference throughout that process, Gail’s infectious
spirit and enthusiasm for the cause (not to mention enthusiasm for
new shopping opportunities) were something to look forward to.
Throughout those difficult years, America couldn’t have asked for a
better ambassador, representing what is best about your nation to the
world. Thanks, Gail, for your inspiration and encouragement.
(Alex Zimmerman, Canada)
One of my most precious memories concerning my adventure in iiSBE
is the first time I met Joel and Gail. It was in Maastricht during
SB2000. At that time I was presenting the new Italian team and I was
a little bit shy in meeting the representatives of US team… I remember
very well the beautiful smile of Gail and how this gave me more
enthusiasm and confidence in finding myself in a friendly and positive
environment… I will keep that smile with me. (Andrea Moro, Italy)
Gail was a charismatic, wonderful person, truly exemplary in many
ways, who we will deeply miss. She was the only person I ever met who
signed emails with smiles. And wide open smiles never lacked to her. I
clearly remember the first time we met in Santiago. That is how I will
keep her with me. (Vanessa Gomez, Brazil)
In Cambridge, UK in ’97 we had a dinner with ONE potato in the
middle of a huge plate. Gail was happy like never before or after
during any meal. We were sitting together with Philip DuchaineMarrulaz and Aleks Panek and we talked in 3 languages, switching
continued K
46
them in mid-sentences, trying to impress Gail with
the speed of switch. And she was rewarding us by
clapping OUR knees. Funny that I remember the most
her laugh. (Woytek Kujawski, Canada)
She represented the US Team at meetings in Tokyo,
Cambridge, Paris, Barcelona, Santiago, and Warsaw
and conferences in Vancouver, Maastricht, and Oslo.
She also made presentations in most of these locations
as well as India and others, introducing attendees to
green building in the US and the LEED Rating System.
Presentation in Santiago de Chile, March 2001.
At a café in
Warsaw, October
2001 (a weird
time to travel, so
soon after 9/11).
Gail’s travel was not all work. She believed strongly in
“supporting the local economy”—our euphemism for
shopping. She had an uncanny ability to find the most
unusual jewelry and clothing, which often became
gifts for friends, as well as “objects d’art” for Mike
(fortunately, she brought home the full-sized sword
pre-9/11!). Many of us have admired her one-of-a-kind
necklaces, earrings, scarves, and shawls—and her
sense of style in wearing them.
Gail’s travel adventures also extended to eating—
although she was a tiny person, she loved good food
(especially dessert). For a vegetarian, some countries
presented particular challenges (Spain without
Serrano ham? Warsaw without meat-and-potatoes?),
but she always enjoyed the company (and the dessert).
Gail’s smiles, warmth, and enthusiasm will be
remembered by her friends around the world.
Editor’s note: Gail frequently brought home “way
cool“ gifts to her homebound husband, but she was
particularly proud of the “Genuine (?) Excalibur
Replica” from Toledo, Spain—a city known for its
sword smithery since the Middle Ages. While her
compatriots were focusing on “letter opener” sword
miniatures that they could carry back through
customs, Gail was arranging for this weighty full-size
and yard-long behemoth to be shipped in time for
my birthday.
47
Editor’s note: One of the best gifts she ever gave me was an introduction to the “high desert” country
of NW New Mexico. The following is an email written on the first morning of our first trip out to this
beautiful area of the American Southwest. Since we had just arrived, it doesn’t convey the love of the
area we came to share, but does provide an evocative description of what it was like to live and travel
with Gail on those heady days when her “green credentials” were becoming established.
To:
Date:
Time:
Place:
Subject: The Omen.
My Legions of Loyal Readers
Saturday, 19 September, 1998
Almost 6 am Local Time
Abiquiu Inn, Abiquiu, New Mexico
Travels with Gail; Episode 1
I don’t know for sure if it was an omen, or exactly what it meant if it was—perhaps one of
you could tell me. I’d just lurched down the front steps in the dark, not quite 5 am, with the
first load of luggage for the car. I thought I’d felt something under my boot, and on the way
back—there it was, smack in the middle of the slate paver, a big old frog with his guts spewed
through his mouth. I took a close look, hoping to discern that it was last night’s cat-hunt
leftovers, but there was no doubt regarding the freshness of it. Was it a mistimed leap or
perhaps suicide? .... maybe just a warning that I didn’t have the sense to heed.
“Hitting Rock-Bottom”
We were queued up at the Chicago O’Hare Starbucks, looking forward to a large mocha (Gail)
and a large regular coffee (yours truly) when I commented to Gail how well she was doing
despite the paucity of sleep over the previous 4 days. Her reply was that she was doing just
fine then, and was way better than the previous morning, when she’d “hit rock-bottom.”
My nonchalant rejoinder: “There ain’t nobody who plumbs the depths of rock bottom as
frequently and thoroughly as you.” was meant to hide the shiver coursing my spine as
Thursday morning leapt into focus:
.... A wild woman rushing about the house, our cats all crouched in terror under the
furniture, the mad frenzy to get into the car and off to the morning’s first meeting. Just
before heading out the door, Gail grabbed a soda-pop bottle out of the fridge, exclaiming
“breakfast of champions!” in obvious exasperation at the lack of any quick breakfast food or
time to make a good one. I chose a some-what ripe apple from among the bowl of mostly green
stones and followed her out the door. Her car was already tearing around the circle drive so
I crossed over to cut her off on the return-path. Her car lurched to a stop and the window
rolled down as I made my humble offering. She accepted the apple, flung it dismissively over
her shoulder, and zoomed off down the driveway. (I found out later that she already had a pair
of truly ripe ones in her purse.)
An Unfair Characterization
It’s obvious re-reading the previous section that it’s just that, an entirely unfair depiction
of my life’s partner and soul mate, and shouldn’t be promulgated over the universal ether of
e-mail without giving the defense a chance to present its case and call rebuttal witnesses. The
short story is that Gail is the victim of her own hard work and success. She closed down her
48
architecture office just under a year ago, determined to make a go of it doing consulting work
out of the top floor of the lovely house that she designed for us. She’s been an unqualified
success, and proposals that seemed like gifts from heaven a ways back are now only
impediments that keep her from working on the really good jobs that she’s currently being
offered. Gail would never dream of slighting any of her clients (her parents didn’t bring her
up that way), so she’s doing her best to keep ALL of them happy. She’s not accepting any new
work, unless it’s something that’s just way too good to turn down, but the backlog is not quite
played out and there was a crescendo of deadlines right at the time we were scheduled to leave
town. By my reckoning, she got about 3 hours of sleep on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
nights. I consider my reckoning to be fairly accurate, as it was made while lying in bed and
listening to her office-chair wheels clicking over the wooden floor above me. On the Thursday
night before our departure, she exceeded my expectations but not my predictions. When her
bedside alarm woke me at 4:30 O’damned clock in the morning, she rushed down from her
office to shut it off—that’s right, not one moment’s sleep. The babbling and hallucinations
didn’t start until much later, on state route 285 in New Mexico.
Easterners such as myself have been sympathetic to westerner’s claims that they must
be allowed much higher speed limits due to the wide-open spaces and the long, straight,
hypnosis-inducing roads that traverse them. I did not expect a 65 mph speed limit through
quasi-residential areas that would have a 35 mph limit in Raleigh. There are two choices:
the left lane, which is barreling along at about 75, and the more sedate right lane, which
is traveling at the speed limit, but where you happen upon the occasional old truck going
25 or the poor bastard who just blunders out into the traffic with no warning because if
he didn’t he’d be stuck at the intersection for all time. Normally during a time like this I’d
let Gail tilt her seat back...that’s horizontal enough for her to be asleep in minutes, but I
needed a sharp-eyed navigator as I’d replaced my spectacles with non-prescription sunglasses
due to the glare and needed help staying awake myself. This is where the babbling and
hallucinations kicked in, and they provided sufficient entertainment to keep me awake. At
any point in the conversation, Gail’s words would start making less sense than usual, followed
by wild permutations accompanied by a slight slurring that indicated a momentary lapse of
connection to the waking world. Then her head would snap back, followed by “Huh, what?” or
some version of “where the hell am I?”
Meanwhile, Back at Starbucks
It seemed finally time to relax, that the vacation was truly underway. I’d already had two
cups of airplane java on the flight from Raleigh, so I was wide awake, and as I said before,
Gail was doing fine. The travel gods were smiling on us as we had just enough time to finish
our caffeine-delivery systems before boarding, and despite a full plane, we had the entire
row to ourselves. I gave up looking for news to read that didn’t pertain to addle-pated interns
or presidents, and boned up on the delights of New Mexico, while Gail impersonated one
of those car-toys, the bird with its head on a spring, in the seat next to me. She has the
marvelous ability to sleep any time and as long as she wants to, but can only do so if she can
get horizontal, hence the head-bobbing dance. The flight was unexceptional, though we had
one of those “Lindsey moments” at the Albuquerque airport—she noticed an old friend at an
airport restaurant. Amy was only there because her husband was unable to make a promised
meeting with a friend who had a long layover on his way back to California. Gail has never
failed to run into someone she knows, and I’ve seen it happen while vacationing with her in
both San Francisco and in Paris.
49
Sleep-Deprivation as Torture
I was by now fully agreeing with the Geneva Conventions on this point, as we decided what
our next step would be. Due to the time change, it wasn’t even noon yet, and we had hotel
reservations in Abiquiu, a couple of hours up the road. Neither of us were in any shape for
a long drive, and as my own sleepiness in times of deprivation tends to run in cycles, we
decided to take the world’s longest tram ride up to the top of the Sandia Mountains, get a bite
to eat, hope for an alertness peak, and then hit the road to Abiquiu.
To anyone with plans to visit here, the Sandia Crest tram ride is just a spit out of town and is
not to be missed (thanks for the advice, Eric). I would recommend, however, not experiencing
it through a fog of sleepiness that colors every aspect of one’s perception. There are wonderful
trails at the top that traverse the edge of the stunning peaks, but are not for those with any
fear of heights or propensity to narcolepsy. We ate at the “High Finance” restaurant, which
fully lived up to its name, took in as much of the sights as we could, trammed our way back
down and hit the highway.
Chop-Sticks as Rate Indicator
Without drawing this out further, we finally made it here to the Abiquiu Inn. I’d been
dreaming of a cold brew for the last half of the trip, but the fancy restaurant at the inn only
sold O’Douls, and as I had not been dreaming of warm cow-piss, I declined. A three-mile
back-track brought me to the “Blue Spruce,” a tiny dark bar full of overweight Mexicans and
a six-pack of ice-cold Tecate. I wanted to sit out in our patio at the inn and relax for a while,
but Gail was in no mood for it. It took her 10 minutes to get to sleep (4:30 local time) but tired
as I was, sleep wouldn’t come. This gave me a little more time to check out our digs...a “casita”
with small kitchen and screened-in patio. Wondering about the price, I checked the slip on
the door but the rates had been whited out. Perusing the silverware drawer, I found two sets
of new chopsticks, which raised my estimate of the daily rate by about 50%. Ah well—Gail’s
conference at the end of the week is paying her plane fare, 3 days of this place, and the rental
car; her frequent-flier miles got me my plane ticket, so I guess we’ll just sit back and enjoy. I
did finally get to sleep, 8:30 pm local time, and sawed logs until the alarm in Gail’s luggage
went off at 4:30 am Raleigh time, which brings us back to the start of this day and a good
point to wind this up before I infect my readers with yesterday’s narcolepsy.
The Omen, Revisited
Sorry about all that squashed frog omen foreshadowing crap. My junior high English teacher,
Mrs. Johns, taught me to start out any composition with something that would suck the
readers in and make them hang on to the end. If this makes you feel like a sucker, just wait,
there’s a whole week of vacation to go, anything could happen if you just believe and wish
hard enough.
Until next dispatchYour faithful correspondent
Mike
50
Editors note: Next up, another remembrance by a fellow professional, this time by her friend
Dr. Stephen Jurovics. Steve met Gail about 20 years ago, and worked closely and traveled frequently
with her for five years, on the EPA’s Energy Star program.
T
o travel with Gail was to talk with Gail.
Continuously, effortlessly. Whether driving
from Raleigh to Savannah, Columbia, or
Charlotte; waiting in airport lounges; or sharing
meals, the words flowed. The topics included family
(an anecdote about “My husband Mike” always
appeared), experiences during illnesses, mysticism
and meditation, books, places visited. Sometimes we
spoke about work, both our tasks for the EPA and her
vision for the sustainable architecture movement.
More often, Gail posed a question or offered an insight
that launched the dialogue in a particular direction,
and from then on we free-associated ourselves into a
wide-ranging exchange.
I left those conversations energized and joyful, and
grateful once again for interacting with a person who
expressed interest in what I thought and who was
equally forthcoming in sharing memories of both
difficult and joyful times and how those moments
had shaped her. The depth and breadth of the
conversations were unmatched with any other friend.
Gail’s conversational energy was not limited to
dialogues. On a trip to Atlanta, we went to dinner
with my daughter and her husband. We maintained
a running discussion throughout dinner, spurred
mainly by Gail who posed questions to these two
people from the world of rock-and-roll. A couple of
days later, my daughter said she had never experienced
such extended, intense, and varied talk. She and her
husband had enjoyed the evening immensely.
On a trip to New Jersey one winter, we left the
meeting to find it snowing and cold, with about two
inches already covering the ground. I drove to Newark
airport with great care, for the roads were quite
slippery and braking was unpredictable.
Not surprisingly, our flight was delayed, and after
calling spouses to say we’d keep them apprised of
our situation, we resumed our discussion. None of it
touched on the weather or inconvenience, but again
plunged into personal matters and concerns. After
repeated re-scheduling, the airline finally confessed
around midnight that the flight was cancelled and
that we were booked on a 6:00 a.m. flight the next day.
I toyed with the idea of spending the night in the
airport, but the far more experienced traveler quickly
and forcefully scotched that plan and steered us to a
nearby motel where we took rooms. Three hours later
we took Newark’s version of the Sky Train back to the
airport, more subdued than usual. Finding the terminal
with concession stands and security check-point still
shuttered, we each retrieved food from our personal
cache and spent the next two hours discussing mystical
experiences, interactions with the universe, beliefs, and
(perhaps?) serendipitous events we had experienced. I
have often reflected on how grateful I feel for having
had this amazing conversation with such a caring and
thoughtful person.
I suspect Gail believed that each encounter served a
purpose. She was supposed to learn something from
the time together, and the companion was to learn
from her. Conversations were deep, personal, touched
on liminal moments and events that shaped lives, and
from that substantive exchange, each would receive a
teaching that supported their life’s mission.
I miss Gail terribly, and am profoundly grateful for
spending time with such an absolutely extraordinary
human being.
Stephen Jurovics
May 2009
Editors note: And now for
something completely
different—we conclude our
“Travels with Gail” series with
an energetic reminiscence
by her (our) long-time friend
and traveling companion,
the playwright Susi Westfall.
Susi’s accounting is far
from complete, as I recall
discussions of these two and
another conspirator, Judy
Hiaasen, feigning a histrionic
illness to retain exclusive
rights to a train compartment
following too many days on
the road.
Without further ado…
51
We’ll Always Have Paris:
Travels with Gail Ann and Susan Jean
By Susan Jean Westfall
May 25, 2009
G
ail and I met when we were nine years old, after her family came to
welcome mine when we moved into our new house in Miami. Both of
our dads were named Jack, and both worked for National Airlines. So
it was natural that Gail and I, airline brats, would love to travel. But as we
grew up our journeys together were really great adventures.
Our travels began with Girl Scout camping trips all over Florida. Gail
and I would practice putting up our pup tent in my backyard. Our task
was to get the damned thing up in three minutes, which was impossible
given how often we had to stop because we were laughing so hard at
ourselves, or looking for band-aids for Gail. For those unaware, Gail was
a lovable klutz. Hammering in those tent stakes was asking for trouble.
My dad would have one eye on the stopwatch, wincing every time we’d
take a whack until Gail would smash a finger. Then she and I would eat ice
cream cones and watch my dad get that sucker up in three minutes flat.
On one camping trip Gail was sleeping so soundly she didn’t move when
a herd of grazing cows moved through our campsite. I couldn’t believe it
when I looked out the flap in the pitch dark night only to see these large
moving mooooing creatures descending upon us. I rousted my pal and we
ended up with the other girls perched on the hood of the bus, barefoot,
in nighties, and shivering until the cows had moved on. Amazingly only
one side of our tent was knocked down, but that didn’t stop Gail from
climbing into her sleeping bag and sacking right out. The next day she
swore it was all a dream.
Another time we were in charge of dinner duty. The menu included
chicken cooked in a pit dug into the beach, just above the gentle waters
of Biscayne Bay. All of us were starving when we returned from canoeing
and discovered the meal underwater. Gail and I each thought the other
had checked the tide charts, but neither of us had. Anyway, it was good
we had each other because no one else would speak to us for the rest of
the trip.
But it was when I joined Gail, who had been living in Paris while going
to school, that Thelma and Louise, or Lucy and Ethel, had our Excellent
Adventure. We were both 23 and old friends, but it really was the trip that
would define us as the best of friends. Put another way, Gail and I survived
that trip and survived each other, and Learned Important Lessons.
We were sitting at a café plotting the route we would take; flying from
Paris to Athens, boarding a ferry to Mykonos, flying on to Corfu, sailing
to Dubrovnik, flying to Zagreb to catch the train from Yugoslavia through
Italy and Switzerland, and back to Paris. That would be part one. For
part two, another pal of Gail’s, Judy, would join us and we’d head up into
Northern Europe.
continued K
52
Oh, I was beside myself with excitement, flinging my marked up guide books at Gail, trying to
count my francs, apologizing for getting lost at the Metro, peppering her with questions since
she’d been Living In Europe while I’d been Living At Home teaching at a small children’s
theatre. I mean I was batty from all the productions of “Peter Pan” and “Wizard of Oz” and
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, and I was ready to Go Crazy. And I was making Gail
nuts. She was exhausted too after a season of studies in French. Finally she snapped.
53
For two weeks the four of us traveled up and down the Pacific Coast highway in an easily
overheated car another friend lent Gail. We explored the hills of the city and saw our dearest
friend in a new light. Was it love? All was hunky-dory until that fateful trip to Sausalito.
“Oh no”, I said and stopped walking. “You don’t know where you’re going, do you?”
“Yes, I do,” she said. The two men looked seriously puzzled. And tired.
I was pinned like a bug by those flashing blue eyes as she lectured me. “You have to stop
being so friendly, Sooze! That’s why those guys in the Metro think it’s okay to feel you up!”
Oh. “Just remember, if one of them gets behind you, pick up your foot and stomp down on his
instep as hard as you can! That’s how you get them to stop bothering you.” Ouch. “And you
have to keep up or you’ll get lost. Or worse.” But. “And ditch that stupid suitcase and get a
backpack, okay?” Hey, pal, I was thinking, I thought this was supposed to be fun? Hmmmmm.
I think at that moment we could have thrown our iced Nescafes at each other. I think she was
close to getting up and walking away. I think as it dawned on us what we’d gotten into, we
were both horrified. After a few minutes of mutual fuming, Gail smiled and said those magic
word, “ I think we should go shopping.” “But Gail,” I asked, “Only if you’ll please slow down!”
That’s when we found our stride.
After landing in the little harbor by boat, Gail had decided that it wasn’t necessary to taxi up
the hills into town to see some museum. We’d be fine walking there. We’d see the sights, get
some exercise, whatever. We’d been at it for a half hour, luckier tourists in rented convertibles
driving by and literally leaving us in the dust.
“She did this to me in Amsterdam. In the rain.” I muttered, “We were looking for Vermeer ---“
“Van Gogh,” she interrupted.
“And she’d say, come on, it’s only fifteen minutes more…” Alan looked up. “Come to think of
it. She did that to me too, in Paris ---“ Mike was shaking his head.
“What”, she asked, all innocence.
The pictures from that trip are among my prized possessions. We were both so young,
and fearless, and filled with the wonder of it all. In Athens we climbed the Parthenon,
Gail pointing out the architecture, me showing her the ruins of the theatre of Dionysus.
In Mykonos we danced all night and recovered on the beaches all day. In Corfu we found
the underwear we’d left on the balcony to dry had blown into the fountain below. To the
amusement of the men drinking beer and watching us fish it all out.
In Yugoslavia we discovered that the most remarkable rule of air travel in that country
was that there were no rules of air travel. When our flight to Zagreb was called everyone
suddenly ran out of the waiting area and began running across runways toward an airplane.
Our airplane. An Englishman called to us, “Follow me!” We didn’t hesitate. A handsome
Englishman tells you to follow, you run! When we caught up we saw luggage for the flight
spilled onto tarmac with passengers frantically pawing through the pile for their own. And
then they’d heave it up into the belly of the aircraft.
Our friend cried, “Tell me what’s yours and get the hell onboard.” We pointed to our stuff,
scrambled up a rickety ladder, into two seats, and peered out to see our hero throw Gail’s pack
underneath us. I couldn’t see if my pack was so lucky. Then we looked up and realized we
were the only women in sight, except for the flight attendant who could have starred as The
Matron in a Women in Prison movie. Big men dressed for hunting were sitting and standing
over us, smoking cigarettes, and cradling rifles, leering away. Our English hero was the last to
appear. He gave us a thumbs up, and found a seatback to hold as the plane rumbled, picked up
speed, and slooooowwwwly took off. Gail and I swore we would never tell our fathers about
that flight.
I was married to my husband Alan Fein when we went to visit Gail in San Francisco. It was
remarkable how many people utterly trusted Gail. This time she was house-sitting an elegant
townhome with a widow’s walk looking out toward Alcatraz. We were happy to keep her
company. And then we met her on and off-again boyfriend, Mike Cox. He seemed nice enough,
we thought.
I don’t remember how long that walk turned out to be. But it became an inside joke between
the three of us; Gail leading us on the road to nowhere, the three of us tagging along.
Gail and I were born 19 days apart. We considered the month of October as ours, starting with
her birthday on the 6th, and winding up with mine on the 25th. We were 49 when Gail told
Alan what she wanted for her 50th birthday. She wanted me to join her for a week in April.
In Paris. She would be working during the day, and I would be an older version of that same
wide-eyed, wandering tourist, and we’d return to the scene of our youth.
Both of us slowed down, the better to savor conversation and the sights of that beautiful
city. Gail’s friend Joel joined us on the night we took ourselves to an early birthday dinner
at the Jules Verne restaurant on the second landing of the Eiffel Tower. It was tres cher, tres
bon, tres magnifique. Relaxing over dessert, Gail explained to me how the tower was lit up,
pointing into the lights and shadows just on the other side of the glass that reflected her
lovely, animated face. She held her hand up, nearly touching the glassy skin, to indicate all
the myriad bits and pieces that connected and became shimmering light.
I have no idea how often I’ve asked Gail questions about the things she knows so well that I
know nothing about. She’s an excellent teacher. And a wonderfully gifted story teller.
My last trip with Gail Ann was last summer. “I’ve got this idea, Sooze, to do something we’re
calling Adult Summer Camp. It’s to remember how to have fun. Find joy. Smile.”
It was irresistible to me, the idea of Gail and I going back to camp at 53. And it was a beautiful
if poignant experience.
This time there were no tents to put up, but cozy cabins scattered by the lake under a forest
of tall trees in the Adirondack mountains. The campers were a great crew of friends and
colleagues that Gail and Bill Reed had convinced to come too. Michael and I were the only
continued K
54
r e m e m br a nces f r om f r iends
“civilians,” and we had a blast with the “Sustainables.” There were cool nights and warm
fires, morning rituals of stretching to the sun, and reaching for blueberries and coffee.
There was ample conversation by interesting and passionate people thinking up great ideas,
for even more interesting discussions. There was candle light and good wine and laughter
at night, and the sound of the wind and the water just outside the window, making dreams
easy. There was canoeing.
Gail and I talked all the time during her illness, and we’d shared the last birthday together.
We were talking about becoming 54 that week at camp, and how we didn’t feel so old. I mean
we were back at camp, for chrissake.
Gail had tempted me to come with the promise that I’d have that week for me. She has always
known how to best tempt me. But if you want to take the juggle out of the woman, you must
take the woman away from the juggle.
So I left my kids and husband and critters and work and all the rest of it, because my best
friend had asked me to take a week off and come play with her. It would be another adventure
to add to our list of journeys together. Material for the future; the stories I might write, the
stories we would tell, as we always have.
I love that through the pain and effort and discomfort and fear and courage and the knowing
and not knowing of cancer, my pal was thinking up more and more good stuff. Illness seemed
to motivate her creativity, and that week at camp I saw Gail inspired and inspiring, exhausted
but energized. Radiant. Feisty. Happy. Alive.
I believed we had so many more journeys ahead of us. As it is I keep thinking she’s on another
one of her travels… ■
55
Celebrating her birthday in Moab, Utah.
Fifty years young…
Bright Light, Shining Star
written for Gail’s 50th birthday
Bright Light, Shining Star
We appreciate who you are
Award-winning architect - designer with virtuosity
We are grateful recipients of your generosity
Making such a difference in the world we know
but it’s your heart we love and the thoughtfulness you show
keeping a travel schedule too much for most mortals
you always remember us in between distant portals
You disappear for months—doing your thing
But surprise us with treats that make our hearts sing
An incredibly hard worker, always doing your best
Your dedication and thoroughness, go beyond all the rest
Susi Westfall,
Joel Todd, and
Gail go shopping
in Paris, 2004.
Known as a guru for making buildings green
Your effect on others goes beyond what is seen
Sharing information with enthusiastic humility
Teaching us much through your playfulness and creativity
Galactic Gail—enlivening many places
Your spunk and energy bring SMILES! to many faces
Celebrating Gail on your 50th birthday!
An inspiration, indeed it is to befriend a soul so deeply sweet—
Generous you are to a fault, compassionate and caring too
without a doubt
And so we celebrate your birth, my friend
50 years of blessing this planet with your light, oh so grand!
We hope you realize how special you are
Bringing magic to our lives – Bright light, Shining Star!
It is with great joy to be part of your life
to know you, grow with you, and watch you shine
Your roots go deep into your Mother Earth
with your beautiful branches spread throughout the world
Birthing new ideas, ways to improve our buildings,
inspiring others to stretch in contributing
And so, dear friend Gail, wherever you travel—be it near or far
know your two friends, Jane and Suzie are here, continuing
to love and support you, as your light grows brighter!
With love,
■ Jane Norton
Love,
■ Suzie Bennett
Delighted by serendipity, finding joy in so many ways
We hope you’re in our lives for many, many more days.
We feel blessed to be your friend and are very glad
To celebrate you now and the connections we’ve had
continued K
56
T
hank you all for sharing your joy and grief and
celebrating Gail’s life. For the past week I’ve
watched like a voyeur, unable to add my voice even
though I had the urge to do so. Every time I sat down to
join you, my screen became uncomfortably blurry.
I was fortunate to have an afternoon with Gail
in December while visiting my mother at Duke
Hospital. As Bill expressed in his note, spending
time with Gail was always magical. Even as I write
to you now I can see her, eyes shining, lots of BIG
SMILES!!! and LAUGHTER!!!! punctuated periodically
by AMAZEMENT!!! brought on by deep inquiry and
insight. Like a jazz duet, our dialogue was filled with
delightful departures and diversions, but always riffs
on a central theme... the vector of evolution, spirit,
and our place as co-creators. Selfishly, I grieve, and I
am so sad that I will not be able to connect with my
friend in this way again. But I have discovered in this
week that I can still connect.
Many of you accepted Gail’s invitation to join
her at noon Eastern Time each day to visualize a
positive outcome to her cancer treatments. When
we were together, Gail and I talked about both the
intimacy and the powerful sense of connection to
the entire group that accompanied these moments
of “tuning in.” The day after her death, my phone
chimed at noon as it had every day for two and half
months. It was a beautiful moment. I know no other
way to say this except that in that instant I felt Gail
in everything around me. I’ve continued to have this
sense of profound connection to her and to all of
you. It occurred to me at that moment that perhaps
our individual legacies are much more than any
incremental advance any of us can hope to contribute
to human culture. Who we become on our journey is
far more important, because it is that which we add to
the field that underlies creation, and it is that which
becomes our stroke on the canvas of evolution. Gail
became so much, so BIG!!, so full of LOVE!!! She is in
and underneath everything around us now.
The day after this experience I turned my noon
alarm off. But now I’m turning it back on. I invite any
of you who are interested to join me at noon Eastern
Time each day, any day that you can, for a minute, or
even just a few seconds, to connect to each other, to
support each other in the Great Work that was at the
core of Gail’s life and all of ours. I’ll be there whenever
I can.
■ Sandy Wiggins, Past Chair, U.S. Green Building Council
I
love that idea, Sandy! And I love the word you
used, Magic, which defines Gail to me.
I consider myself lucky in that—in my work—I
am surrounded by many whom I admire, who inspire
me and who are visionaries. I used to think that
“visionary” was The Top... those who are visionaries
embody The Ultimate. Knowing Gail, I have come to
see and appreciate that there are places beyond Vision
and beyond Inspiration… and that’s where magic lies,
and what—in my experience of Gail—she embodies.
By “visionary”—I don’t mean related to the
“work” we do… I mean visionaries in our lives—to our
families and ourselves. I think of my four children
and how unbelievably significantly my life has
changed because of Gail’s influence—how I approach
my children (most of the time!) from a place of
JOY—especially at the most challenging times—and
that has made ALL of the difference. Same is true
with my partner, who has been the recipient of many
unkind thoughts at times over the past 18 years—and
now, who I experience through a completely different
light—all because of the commitment to JOY and
decisions I now make in a very different way. Because
of Gail. I try to carry the magic with me, inside of me.
I truly hope her magic creates a legacy of
inspired visionaries, with a little magic of their
own and I hope that, in her memory, we can
always approach every situation—even the most
challenging—with joy in our hearts and spirits.
■ Barbra Batshalom
I
am so moved to hear all of your reflections of
Gail. Strangely enough, although we lived in the
same town (Raleigh) I never actually met her
in person. So many people told me that we should
meet, and when I heard that she had been diagnosed
with breast cancer a couple of years back I wrote to
her, having been through my own brush with breast
cancer a few years earlier. Her emails were vibrantly
alive, and overflowing with love and generosity of
spirit—she was (and continues in our hearts) to be an
extraordinary human being.
What strikes me as I read all of your emails is the
power of one to move so many. We always think that
life stops when the body dies, but this outpouring of
love for the one no longer present so clearly points to
the truth of who we are beyond the confines of this
physical plane of existence.
I’m also in awe of how the internet allows us to
share what we know of Gail, and in so doing to learn
so much more about who she was—her reach, and her
boundless love and energy. I felt it in her emails, but
I see it even more clearly in each of the reflections
being shared here. This is a true memorial... a
sharing of the spirit that touches each one of us as
we read and remember.
I want to share a poem by Jelaluddin Rumi, as
translated by Coleman Barks, which always has deep
meaning for me when I lose someone very close, and I
hope it will bring some of the same solace.
On the day I die, when I’m being carried
toward the grave, don’t weep. Don’t say,
She’s gone! She’s gone. Death has nothing
to do with going away. The sun sets and
the moon sets, but they’re not gone.
Death is a coming together. The tomb
looks like a prison, but it’s really
release into union. The human seed goes
down in the ground like a bucket into
the well where Joseph is. It grows and
comes up full of some unimagined beauty.
Your mouth closes here and immediately
opens with a shout of joy there.
Thank you so much for all your collective outpouring of
love. In this moment I can see so clearly how perfectly
love heals when it is completely unfettered. Together
we know a Gail that no one of us could know alone.
With great love to all as we re-member Gail,
■ Sarah Susanka
I
grew up with Gail, and cheered with her in Junior
high and high school. I learned to sew at the
Lindsey’s house. Gail was quite domestic. Her
mom taught us all about cooking and cutting out
patterns for sewing dresses. I was quite non-domestic
at the time, and Gail would heip me finish sewing my
dresses. The funny thing was I was given all the credit
at school when I wore the dress. Gail would say to
our friends “see the dress Beth made.” I would smile
and take all the credit, truly believing I had made the
dress. Later when I got married, I told my husband I
could sew… where you see how that went over??? He
thought maybe I was a pathological liar. I kept trying
to tell him about all the patterns I had cut out and
dresses I had made at Gail’s house. Well anyway, I
57
grew up at Gail’s house, spent the night with all the
great Lindseys (they practically raised me). I ate all
the christmas cookies Mrs. Lindsey made and stayed
for meals. Gail was my friend that praised me. She
would draw pictures for me in notes we passed in
class—she would doodle pictures of models and pretty
things. I kept all of them and told others I had drawn
them… HA! Once I told Gail that I had taken credit for
some of her art work, she didn’t mind. I told her she
shouldn’t have made me out to be a great seamstress,
now I am becoming a great artist as well.
Well, the famous seamstress will sign off now. I will
miss my encourager…
■ Beth Wadsworth
D
earest Visionaries,
Traci Rider, Shelley McPhatter and I were able
to share a moment today lighting candles at
our office with a reading from “Earth Prayers” that so
beautifully represents Gail’s presence in this world.
It is lovely indeed, it is lovely indeed.
I, I am the spirit within the earth.
The feet of the earth are my feet;
The legs of the earth are my legs.
The strength of the earth is my strength;
The thoughts of the earth are my thoughts.
The voice of the earth is my voice.
The feather of the earth is my feather;
All that belongs to the earth belongs to me;
All that surrounds the earth surrounds me.
I, I am the sacred works of the earth.
It is lovely indeed, it is lovely indeed.
—Song of the Earth Spirit, Navajo Origin Legend
Gail constantly offered us the clarity of vision, the
passion of peace, and the boundless bliss of JOY! Gail’s
spirit is lovely indeed.
With heartache & gratitude,
■ Susannah Tuttle, MDIV, Partner, Trace Collaborative, LLC
G
ail was my mentor for just shy of 17 years. We
first met as teacher and student at NC State and
she became my mentor and dear, dear friend. I
can honestly attest to the fact that without Gail’s help,
influence, guidance, SMILES and many wise words,
continued K
58
I know I would not be the person I am today. I thank
her every day for that. I only hope that I too will be
able to help another like she did me. I am currently
mentoring another and I always ask myself “What
would Gail do?” She will live in my heart and mind
every day for the rest of my life. The world is a better
place because of her presence in it.
The memory of all that
No, they can’t take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you say “Five Things”
The way you love us all
No, they can’t take that away from us.
■ Sophie Piesse
We will surely, surely meet again on this bumpy road
to love
But I will always, always keep the reality of
T
The way you bring such joy
The way you move with glee
The way you change my life
No, they can’t take that away from me
HANK YOU ALL—I feel your golden light every
day I take my time at noon to tune in.
Two things on Gail:
1. Most of my conversations with Gail focused on
faith—we patently ignored our own personal work
connections and sometimes even what was going
on in a specific way in our lives and talked about
spirit, faith and feelings. Something we spoke of in
our last long lunch in late ’08 focused on my faith
tradition and included her own mother’s transition
(and constant presence in her life) and another
very spiritual friend of mine who had transitioned
suddenly and unexpectedly about five years ago. We
talked of the pain of our loss that continues to exist
and yet the joy in our remembrance and the closeness
of spirit that continues after physical death; I told her
of my belief that when we have learned and taught all
we need to in this life, we move on to the next. We are
not there because we are supposed to BE here. Present
now, being now. Best of all, we hugged for a very long
time in public and said our “I love you”s.
Gail, you are an awesome teacher and a brilliant
student. I love you.
2. I have been listening to an old Frank Sinatra
chestnut that seems to connect me with Gail. There is a
version by someone on You Tube singing the song if you
don’t have the tune in your head. As per my inclination,
I change the words to something more meaningful for
me. The song is a 1953 version of “They Can’t Take That
Away From Me.” Here are some of my words for this
song (with pardons to George and Ira Gershwin):
There are many, many crazy things
That will keep me loving you
And with your permission
May I list a few?
The way your eyes light up
The way you try to just be
With much love and joy, some tears and wistfulness,
■ Dona Stankus, AIA, Architect/Building Programs Manager
NC State University-NC Solar Center
O
ur friend Gail was among the best that human
beings can be, someone we wish we resembled
more. Although her professional capabilities
were outstanding, most will remember her exceptional
personal qualities. She was true to her beliefs
and values, loving the earth and all its transitory
inhabitants. Easily penetrating our everyday
protective armor, she had an amazing uplifting
influence on so many by engaging one soul at a time.
We were privileged to be in her engaging company,
and always felt better about ourselves and the world
in her presence. Gall’s short life was well-lived. We
will miss her greatly.
■ Beverly Dyer
I
, along with my husband Peter, were honored to
have known Gail (and Mike) for over 20 years and
found her to be truly amazing in so many ways.
A world-class inspiration along with a wonderful
husband who touched so many lives!
Following Mike’s great idea and request for Gail’s
network to visualize together again at noon the day
after her passing, I settled down, as usual, in an
out-of-the-way corner in the only big comfy chair in
my den. However, sitting there always made me wish
the chair was instead positioned in the warmth of
the midday sun that streams in through the windows
nearby. Yet that Tuesday for the first time in all
the past chilly winter weeks, as my mind started to
focus on Gail with my eyes closed, I suddenly felt
the warmth of sunlight (?) on MY FACE and could
not imagine how it could have possibly reached me! I
stayed still and didn’t dare open my eyes, just savoring
that glow as my thoughts of Gail brought instant JOY
followed by sadness at bidding her farewell, then
peaceful calm. Afterward I got up and tried to figure
out how the angle of the sun could have possibly found
me, but decided that the phenomenon must have had
to do with Gail instead. After all, she was Magical!
We will all miss her dearly: that brilliant
contagious SMILE, her generous spirit and loving
friendship! Yet, how fortunate we all were to have
had our lives touched by such a joyful, high-flying
spirit who gave so selflessly to all. I heartily appreciate
you and all of the other visionaries for the wonderful
support you all gave our mutual friend Gail. And
how blessed we all are for Gail to have brought us all
together for a time! I always told her she was a catalyst
but never imagined she would be this far reaching in
uniting others.
With gratitude and warm regards,
■ Dasleigh Pflasterer, Raleigh, NC
M
y husband, Darrell, and I met Gail for the
first time in early ’91 at Duke University,
where she and her business partner taught a
class on Architectural History. They followed that one
up with a class on Green Building (which Darrell and I
also attended). We found we had lots in common. Gail,
Darrell and I were all vegetarian, were devoted to
Green Building, and as time passed, we realized that
holistically we had much in common as well.
We started getting together and keeping in touch
with Gail. In January ’93 I experienced a cerebral
hemorrhage. Darrell notified lots of folks, including
Gail, of my hospitalization. Gail and her business
partner visited me in the hospital, and Gail shared her
experience with having a cerebral hemorrhage during
her undergraduate years. Gail was such an incredible
inspiration
to me at that
critical time.
We both fully
recovered
from this lifechallenging
condition.
Darrell and I
59
stayed in touch with Gail during our years in NC and
also when we returned to Arizona in 1998.
We were incredibly alarmed when we first
learned of her breast cancer and followed her email
updates closely. Her good news received in early
January of this year was so exhilarating to all of us.
The overwhelmingly sad news of her passing on Feb
2nd was an incredible shock to us, along with all
her family and friends worldwide. Darrell and I are
involved in the USGBC in Phoenix and are involved in
the plans for the Greenbuild Conference in Phoenix
this November. I’ve touched base with USGBC leaders
regarding recognizing Gail’s founding and lifelong
contributions to Green Building at the conference,
and they have indicated their whole-hearted support
of this. While Gail may have very sadly—physically—
passed on, her Spirit continues to inspire us, along
with countless numbers of people worldwide.
■ Susen & Darrell Mills
W
hen I think of Gail, I think of her beautiful
voice. I can hear the slightly rough sound,
a kind of breathless quality, as all that
energy expressed itself in words. When Gail talked,
you could really hear love and life and a tremendous
desire to connect.
■ Lisa Fay Matthiessen
M
y sweet glowing friend, Gail.
As always, she breathes like bellows on the
embers of the light side.
Heartfelt,
■ Marilyn Strong
M
y taking over at COTE is another typical one
of the Gail tales. It was the product of MY
first meeting Gail—on an airplane returning
from a conference in North Carolina. During the
course of an hour’s flight, I came under her spell, was
named her successor at COTE (quite out of the blue)
and had my life changed for the better.
It has been a sad week—the disturbance in the
Force is palpable, but it’s been moving to read all the
stories and ways that amazing woman made us all
better for knowing her. I wish I could have given back
continued K
60
even a little of what I got. I suppose that should be her
memorial—to dedicate ourselves to try.
■ Muscoe Martin
I
admired Gail so much. She truly is an inspiration,
a wonderful lady, and a gift to us all. I will always
remember her and know her spirit is with us all.
Gail is my role model. I have often said to myself,
“Wow, I wish I could be more like Gail!”
I want to share one of my favorite quotes:
“to laugh often and much; to win the respect of
intelligent people and the affection of children; to
earn the appreciation of honest criticism and endure
the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty
and find the best in others; to leave the world a bit
better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, a
redeemed social condition; to know that even one life
has breathed easier because you have lived—that is to
have succeeded.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
This was Gail. By Emerson’s standards, Gail is a success
100 times over. It truly was an honor to know her.
■ Sabrina Morelli
Gail with friends Joel Todd, Sabrina Morelli, and Ana Ka’ahanui
in Washington, DC.
I
first met Gail
while living in
NYC (around
1980). She was
getting her Masters at
Columbia (I believe)
and I was new to the
job market after just
finishing college and
my first job. In typical
Gail-like fashion, she
hooked me up with
someone we mutually
Gail at Columbia, early 1980s.
knew at I.M. Pei’s
architectural firm. I
am a graphic designer
and was thrilled to even be considered a part of the
team. She facilitated that important career move for me
and from that point we became fast friends.
We shared many common interests: men, healthy
eating and a taste for competition, to name a few.
Together we decided to lose weight and due to her
research we decided on the Pritikin diet. We vowed to
keep each other on it until we lost 20 pounds, which
we both did. Without her continual encouragement I
never would have made the 2 months on hard boiled
eggs and tuna.
Then, while still in NYC we decided to train for
the NYC marathon. I remember our early morning
meetings either in Central Park or during the rainy
season at the Columbia indoor track. Back then the
track was 1/10 of a mile and we’d be there for an
hour, running probably 100 times around the track to
get our 7-10 miles in…(not sure of the exact # but it
seemed ridiculous and I definitely felt like a hamster).
Then, after running our morning miles, we’d go out
for “breakfast”—our standard bagel and OJ… No, we
never ran the marathon, something got in the way, but
it was the journey with Gail that made it so much fun.
I moved west to Boulder, CO and then to California
before she finished school and moved south. I’ve had
a family and career but during it all we’ve stayed in
touch with our long phone calls at least once a year
where we shared our joys and sorrows. I remember
following her meeting, dating and then marrying of
the love of her life, Mike.
Whenever we talked she was so encouraging and
ready to share her latest interests. She has sent me
many healthy eating books and cool jewelry as well as
her own prose which still slays me… I helped her with
her first business card and stationery using the hand
motif (5 fingers) probably late 80s…one of my most
inspired projects. I didn’t realize how integral and
magical the number 5 was in her work (great to hear
from others…)
She lived a life that I will always hold up as an
example of how to live life to its fullest and make a
real and positive lasting impact on the world. She will
go with me everywhere and be SMILEing all the way…
With love,
■ Joan Andrews
G
ail has been a light in the world and she was and
will continue to be a role model for me.
Gail’s vision, her talent, her grace, her humor
and her connection with the transcendent were all
extraordinary. Gail was influential in my decision to
strike out on my own in the world of green real estate.
Before I started my company, I was uncertain as to
whether I could even aspire to succeed. I first met Gail
at GreenBuild in 2002—meeting Gail and seeing what
she had accomplished under her own banner gave me
the courage and inspiration to try to do something
similar, especially because Gail was so positive and
was clearly taking so much delight in her work and in
her friends. Gail has always exemplified to me the best
in green real estate and the best in fostering caring
and friendship.
I always loved seeing Gail at GreenBuild and
valued being in touch with her by e-mail. I will never
forget the delight and the impish humor that she
invariably exuded—Gail drew people to her, welcomed
them, made them part of her circle and encouraged
them to do the same for others. Gail has been a
touchstone for me and, I know, for a substantial group
of real estate visionaries. I will miss Gail tremendously
and feel honored to have known her and to have been
her friend.
A key lesson that Gail taught was to always
reach out to others and to encourage them to do the
same. Her life was about giving to and inspiring her
colleagues, who invariably became her friends. For me,
one of the most powerful ways in which I can honor
Gail is to follow her example—to welcome others, to
see the best in them and, by so doing, to help them
take their best into the world. While no one of us can
fill Gail’s shoes, I’m hopeful that, together, we can
continue to live her legacy. I hope that those who loved
Gail will turn to me for support, that they will in turn
assist me, and that we all can do the same for others.
■ Leanne Tobias
■
G
61
ail and I worked
together in the
mid-1980s, as
architectural “interns”
for Clearscapes, a small
company in Raleigh, NC,
unique in its partnership
between an architect and
an artist. We worked in
a renovated gas station,
and our desks were in
the depressed (former)
grease pit of one of
the garage stalls. Our
architectural projects
typically included some
“art” element, such as a
light fixture or decorative
column, that we designed
and fabricated in the
The Clearscapes “gang,” mid 1980s.
company’s art studio.
(Jim is on top.)
Gail’s constant optimism
was a wonderful influence
for office morale. We “earned” our architectural
registration together and moved on to other endeavors.
Our family moved back to Michigan, our home
state, in 1991, and careers and children consumed our
time. In 2000, Gail facilitated a reunion of sorts as
she contacted my wife, Carol, to help her graphically
organize her myriad accomplishments in her bid for
Fellowship in the AIA. We spent a short week with Gail
in Washington, DC. During the day, Gail and Carol met
at AIA National’s library studying previous successful
FAIA submittals and conceptualizing, and I toured
the capitol with our two young children, Halcyon and
Daedalian. In the evenings we “adopted” Gail into our
family and enjoyed time together. She even taught our
kids to comfortably navigate the Metro!
We have met up with Gail at several AIA
Conventions and had coffee when we could coordinate
schedules during visits to Raleigh. We were fortunate
to have had one of those brief meetings with her last
December. She was tired, but optimistic about the
future and excited at the opportunity to get together
(we missed you Mike). Our now not-so-young children
were with us, and in her inimitable way, Gail steered
the conversation, marveling at our young adults
and reminding us to take a moment to enjoy our
“wonderful work in raising the next generation.”
Carpe diem,
■ Jim Derks
62
My Me mor ie s of Ga i l
my m e mor ies of g a i l
by Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui
T
he first time I saw Gail she was up on stage
receiving an award at our Greenbuild
Conference 2003 in Pittsburgh. I was new to
USGBC and this was my first exposure to the green
building community. From my vantage point standing
with staff in the back of the ballroom, Gail was just
a speck up on stage, but I could tell from the buzz in
the room that this was an extraordinary woman. Over
the years, I came to know and be friends with Glorious
Gail—The Teacher, The Fighter, The Giver, The Mentor,
The Cheerleader and The Connector.
63
Gail the Mentor
Gail and I had a similar work ethic in that we seemed to be working all the time. Late one
evening on the phone, while we discussed edits to a course, Gail taught me her greatest
lesson: “You know Ana, with all these late nights of working you really need to take
care of yourself. We teach people about sustainability, yet never think about personal
sustainability.” It was a simple statement, yet so profound. It made me think about making
better choices so I wouldn’t get burned out. I was thrilled to hear that Gail was working on
her “Delving Deeper” program with Bill Reed to share with others and I couldn’t wait to
bring them to teach this message to our dedicated staff. I have fond memories of spending
hours at the Tabard Inn chatting and giggling about life, love and the future. Even though
I’ve never met Mike, she spoke so lovingly of him and their adventures together. He
sounded like the perfect Yin to her Yang.
Gail the Cheerleader
Gail the Glorious
There’s no doubt that Gail had an amazing presence.
Her sky blue eyes revealed a bright shining soul. We
both loved the color red and she always looked so fabulous, stylish and put together with her
colorful scarves, funky jewelry and dazzling red lipstick. She had pizzazz, spunk and sparkle
and her smile lit up a room.
Gail the Teacher
In my early years at USGBC, I was fortunate to work with LEED Faculty. Gail was what I
called one of our “rock star” faculty members. Her students and co-presenters loved her, as
evidenced by the many follow-up emails of gratitude after her workshops. As I worked on new
curriculum development, Gail was my “go to gal.” We worked on the LEED 101, Charrette,
and Integrative Approach courses together. Some faculty members may recall Gail’s special
memory strategy during LEED workshops. If she thought a certain point might be useful for
the LEED exam, she’d yell out “ding, ding, ding” to signify “better take note of that!” She
always brought an element of fun to everything she did. I’ve heard she even brought a cow
bell to class…
Gail the Fighter
I remember coming upon Gail at Greenbuild one year showing Joel kickboxing moves in the
hallway outside of a session. What an awesome sight! Gail looked like a super heroine clad in
black leather, high heeled boots and engine red lipstick. Watch out world! Gail was certainly a
fighter. She faced every challenge head-on and never gave up.
Gail the Giver
The first gift I ever received from Gail was my yellow LiveStrong wristband from the Lance
Armstrong Foundation. She brought bags of them after her mother was diagnosed with cancer
to share at our LEED Faculty Retreat in Annapolis many years ago. We were all so inspired.
For my wedding, she sent me a gorgeous carved wooden bowl and chocolate bars that said
“Love” on them. I’ve filled the bowl with polished river rocks and looking at its earthiness and
glimmer always makes me smile. Gail was ever so thoughtful. She gifted books that inspired
her, seed packets and most recently, copies of her booklet Believing Impossible Things. She
gave me the booklet to share with my family last year when my aunt was stricken with brain
cancer. Her words provided comfort at a difficult time.
Gail always had a way of making me feel special. She saw the best in me, and her cheerful
emails could brighten any day. I sent this response to one of her many happy emails:
Here’s a funny thought I just had. I love dogs. I could be having a horrible day and as soon as
I see a dog (any dog) everything melts away. I always wished we could bottle that feeling—one
dose of dog to make your sadness turn to joy. Well, the reason I’m sharing this is that YOU have
the same effect on me. Not that I think you’re a dog (ha,ha)—but you’re the first person I’ve
identified who has the same effect on me. So thanks!
Knowing Gail has made me a better person because she’s shown me that with confidence and
perseverance you can do anything. Her nurturing spirit and Mother Earth presence will be
with me forever.
Gail the Connector
Gail had the gift for bringing people together. Because she was such an amazing
conversationalist and keen observer, she found synergies everywhere and served as a conduit
for so many connections. I’m grateful for her virtual introductions and honored that she
thought to link me to other special people in her life’s work. She’s still connecting us today
through the sharing of memories, an exercise which has brought us together to heal and
comfort each other.
O
ut of pure curiosity I looked up the origins of the name “Gail.” There are several
meanings that surfaced but two that struck me. The Old English translation means
“merry or lively.” Check. That was Gail alright. The Hebrew translation blew me away.
“A Father’s joy. God is joy. Gives joy.” How perfect is that?
Gail lived her life as her name destined her to live—to give JOY.
I plan to follow Gail’s example. She showed me that every day is a precious gift and for this I
am truly thankful.
With Smiles of Joy and Aloha,
Ana
64
W h at a F r ie nd
wh at a f r iend
by Barbara E. Knecht
I
met Gail Lindsey when we were just two in a crowd of 75 people
starting graduate school at Columbia University in 1981. We were in
for three years of sleepless nights and high drama that is Architecture
School. The Group: five of us—all women—found one another within the
first few weeks. We were distinguished by being older (by a whopping 3
or 4 years) than most (but not all) of our classmates. The Group grew to
include many other wonderful people, but it also remained a loyal core
until it was splintered by Gail’s death on 2 February 2009.
Late night in the design studio at Columbia
University, early 1980s.
Gail and Barbara in New York City, 1985.
Lake Van in Turkey, 1985.
During second year, as I now realize, Gail and I were constant
companions. We were “housing partners,” which is not another word
for roommates, but the teams that worked together on a semester-long
housing design project. It meant a lot of time together (if you got along)
and a lot of cooperation (whether or not you got along). We also ran the
Happy Hour concession, which meant that we were enablers to faculty and
students every Friday afternoon when studio ended. We set up a folding
table and supplied everyone from the new students to the Dean with
every type of alcohol and junk food that we thought they would consume.
Gail didn’t drink so she poured three or four fingers
for everyone who did (“Is this okay?”). We counted
our nickels and took ourselves out for noodles every
Friday night. Big night out!
We talked all the way through that year. Most of it
had no relation to housing, but it was the talk that got
us through the project. And so I know many things
about her. She was from a big family (all sisters), so
was I (included brothers). She was from flat Florida,
I was from hilly San Francisco (she had no clue how
to deal with our sloped site). She ran to keep sane, I
swam for the same reason; every evening we met at
Mama Joys for take-out dinner (except that “hot meal”
on Friday nights). She studied architecture at Georgia
Tech, I studied at Berkeley (wow, were our experiences
different). She had worked in New York for I.M. Pei,
I had worked in California for a no name firm (no
comparison there). She had a near death experience;
I had a near death experience (completely unalike).
She lived in three huge rooms with no furniture. I
lived in two mini rooms with too much furniture. Her
indulgence was sweets; mine was salty. We were fast
friends. Go figure.
We made it through the three years. We identified
many problems, but solved none; and she figured out
that Mike was the love of her life. That was a long
talk—lasted weeks or months, I don’t remember, but
it was worth it and it worked. We both hightailed it to
San Francisco after graduation, needing to escape the
job race. We had a grand trip to Turkey with our Kinne
Fellowship in May of 1985. She and Mike had a joyous
and celebratory wedding the next fall.
Our Columbia education was not the inspiration for
either of our future work. She went on to find her
heart in the environmentally centered movement; I
went on to find my place in human centered design.
But Gail and I were not at odds professionally; we just
came to the same place from different perspectives.
I look back over email from the past few years and
am reminded that our conversations peaked and
ebbed. When she was encouraged to apply for the Loeb
D
ear friends (what an amazing
circle of people we all formed
around Gail—and though I know
only a fraction of you, more truly than
anyone else I’ve ever known, I feel I can
safely say that any friend of Gail’s is a
friend of mine and vice versa),
Attached are two photographs, each
with words inspired by Gail. We Can
Choose, some of you have seen before,
as I wrote it on January 6th inspired
by Gail’s beautiful message sent out
that morning—the photo taken in mid
December at Point Reyes National
Seashore in California. Gail’s heartfelt
thank you note on the 8th was the last
time I heard from her, but far from the
last time I will feel, and be grateful for,
her presence in my life.
The other, A Gail-force Wind, I
wrote last night on a photo taken last
September at the Coorong National
Park, Salt Creek campground at the
coast in South Australia. This morning
I realized that I wanted to share it with
all of you in the hope that it will add
at least a little to the light and joy that
Gail would want us to be feeling today.
Please feel free to share these as they
emerged from the light that was Gail.
With great love and gratitude,
David Eisenberg
65
Fellowship for 2007, we had an intense communication
over the crafting of her application. Delighted to make
the short list, she came to Boston for her interviews
and we imagined the fun of a year together again.
The cancer diagnosis ended that dream. Our last
dinner together, on the first of November in New York,
included most of The Group. It was a grand evening,
full of optimism.
Gail was wacky and wonderful, humble and haunted,
driven and dreamy.
What a friend.
■
66
my f i r st teac he r, my siste r, g a i l
Lisa and Gail at the
White Place near
Abiquiu, New Mexico,
2006.
by Gail’s sister, Lisa Lindsey
J
acques Barzun said, “In
teaching you cannot see the
fruit of a day’s work. It is
invisible and remains so, maybe
for twenty years.” This invisible
gift, the lifelong love of learning,
is what my sister, Gail, generously gave to me. Her curiosity, innate giftedness, and insatiable
desire to “know it all” were catalysts for my own need to understand and contemplate the
amazing world around me.
When I was not yet in kindergarten, Gail came bounding into my bedroom carrying a huge
dictionary. She plopped herself and the book on top of the bed on which I was sitting, and
proceeded to turn to random pages in order to teach me new words. I was captivated by her
enthusiasm and by the undivided attention she lavished on me. First word, “ambidextrous,
adjective, using both hands with equal ease, from the Latin, ambi, meaning combining form,
both.” “Cool!” she said. “Did you know Daddy is ambidextrous?” I slowly shook my head back
and forth, “No,” I responded, quite shocked that my father was indeed, “ambidextrous.” Next
word, “lexicon, noun, 1) a dictionary 2) a special vocabulary, from the Greek, lexis, meaning
word.” “What do you think about that word?” Gail asked. “Well, lexicon, makes me think of
the word leprechaun and that makes me think of Lucky Charms cereal,” I said happily. “Great!
Now you can picture a leprechaun holding a lexicon.” “Your friends and teachers will be so
amazed at all the words you know before you even step foot in school!” Our lesson continued
on in this fashion with Gail teaching me new words and me being held spellbound by her
charm and infectious energy.
My F i r st Teac he r, My S i ste r, Ga i l
In addition to enhancing my life with a love of words
and their origins, Gail also taught me to love other
languages and cultures. The first time I heard the
French language was at our dinner table. My oldest
sister, Linda, and Gail both took French in high
school and spoke it to each other frequently. The
rest of my family, non-French speakers at the time,
were convinced they were saying catty things about
us because they would say something in French,
look at us, and then giggle. I was so intrigued by
this “secret” language that I took French all through
middle school, high school, and college. Later I would
move on to Italian in graduate school when I decided
to concentrate my studies on Italian Renaissance art
and architecture. For the last thirty years, Gail and I
sprinkled our conversations and correspondences with
French and Italian phrases. It always made me feel a
part of her exciting and intellectual world, included
and loved in any language.
Most importantly, Gail taught me to be open-minded
and to dig deeper for answers rather than to settle
for information being spoon-fed to the masses. She
reinforced this teaching with a quote, (her favorite),
by Walt Whitman. He said, “Re-examine all that you
have been told…dismiss that which insults your soul.”
Gail and I regularly shared life-experiences, new
ideas from books we were reading, and fashion and
style ideas (her fun-filled passion). I like to think I
added to the discussions, but Gail was always on the
cutting edge, pushing farther and faster than I could
keep up, although I enjoyed trying! In the end, her life
lesson was to let go, forgive, and love, beginning with
loving yourself unconditionally. An important lesson
that many of us miss as we race to the finish line of
life, forgetting to stop along the way and admire the
scenery and talk to the people in the lanes next to us.
Gail was my first teacher, my inspirer, my hero. She is
the reason I am a teacher today. Gail once described
me as being “pure energy,” and if that is true it is only
because she touched me with her spark and ignited my
inner love of learning, being, and sharing knowledge,
ideas, and experiences. Gail still inspires me daily
to find new words to express myself, explore new
languages and cultures, and discover new ideas to put
into action that will enrich my life and the life of my
children and students. I recently found this quote by
an unknown author. It spoke to me of Gail’s life and her
gift to me. “A good teacher is like a candle—it consumes
itself to light the way for others.” ■
Gail is about to teach this apple a lesson it won’t soon forget.
67
68
g a i l’s bo y s
t he g iv e - aw ay ce r e m ony
69
by Mike Cox and Joel Todd
Joel: We have to add a chapter about the kitties! She loved them so
much and they made her laugh and…
Mike: Great idea Joel—Why don’t you take the first crack at it?
Joel: OK, here goes:
Gail initially considered the kittens to be “Mike’s.” The previous three
cats—Whiner, Tiny, and Vermin—had been “his.” It wasn’t long after
Spaz and Lummox came to the Cox-Lindsey household, though, that
telephone conversations would be interrupted by Gail’s giggles—one
of the kitties would be doing something impossibly cute. Serious talk
would stop for a description of Cute Kitten Behavior and a good laugh
all around. Kittens are JOY, and she loved watching them explore,
play, hunt and pounce, and do very silly things. And sometimes, they
were just good company—a purring kitty on the lap, not laptop, can
be very calming medicine.
After having worked on
many projects with Gail—
FAIA submittal, charrette
binders, Loeb Fellowship
application, Believing
Impossible Things, AIA NC
Gold Medal submittal…—I
received a request of an
entirely different nature.
In June 2008, Gail sent an
email message:
…I hope to “give-away”
150+ treasured items I have
collected over my lifetime
and feel ready to give away…
Mike: Hmmmm…
Truth be told, Gail’s “spiritual gifts” did not include a green thumb
or a way with animals. She did have a strong affinity for a few of the
cats that have graced our marriage. First on this list was Squeak, the big beautiful black bane of the
local squirrel population when we lived on North Main Street, on a two-acre lot adorned with centuryold oaks. Squeak stayed right at Gail’s side for days as Gail recovered from a bad car accident that
shattered her left elbow. Gail returned the favor when Squeak needed an emergency hysterectomy. It
was not a happy occasion when the time came to put Squeak down.
Squeak’s replacement was another jet black hunter named Whiner, who was also a true-blue “Gailonly” kitty until Gail started her office in downtown Raleigh and, like most new business owners,
stayed there ’til the wee hours for the first few years. Apostate Whiner became my acolyte, and, as Joel
mentioned, the household became Gail, Mike, and “Mike’s Girls.”
Gail designed us all a house so “kitty-friendly” that all of my girls lingered well into old age—15,
18, and finally the last left us at 16 years old, all passing on in the same overall time frame as Gail’s
mother’s death and the onset of Gail’s illness. Tough pills to swallow. I knew that new kittens would
be the perfect prescription to chase away the blues related to Gail’s therapies and prolonged periods of
homebound convalescence. Gail insisted instead on a “Time Out!” – No choice for me but to acquiesce.
She had to relent, though, when my baby sister Roz phoned her plans to ferry a pair of adopted kittens
to us from her home in Arkansas. “Love at First Sight” sounds trite, but the photo taken within 15
minutes of the little buggers’ arrival is sufficient testament to its truth.
Gail had 13 wonderful months with her boys, long enough to be delighted at their kitten antics and
spoil them mercilessly as they grew up. Not known for her nurturing nature, Gail was quick to coo to
her babies and began to refer to me as “Poppie.”
Cow-colored Spazmo was the indubitable favorite and constant companion who slept at her ankle or
lay at her elbow as Gail worked or communicated via phone and laptop. If sufficient attention was not
forthcoming, Mr. Spaz was quick to apply a little toothy nip to an ankle or elbow to help restore the
world to its proper balance.
Lummox, aka “Gail’s Lummie Bear” was totally spoiled in entirely other manner. To this day he will
walk up to you and plop at your feet, with total assurance that you will also drop to the floor to give
him a thorough petting.
I tell them everyday how much we both love them.
■
Gail said, “No rush. I will
want to write a note on
the back of the card about
the ‘item’ I’m giving each
person… See what you think
might be FUN. As you know,
I’m always intrigued with
what you come up with!”
Gail sent a photo of a
cherished necklace
(taken by Mike, of course)
and some text; I found
an appropriate Native
American sun symbol. The
seven rays, representing the
seven energy centers within
human beings, identify the
healing arts and represent a
peace-loving person.
The cards were printed and
delivered last December.
The “Give Away” remains
an unfinished project. But
Gail has given me — given
all of us — more than she
will ever know.
—carol a.s. derks
“Aho Child of Earth!
Do you know the secret of the Give-Away?
The more you release, the more you receive.
For that is nature’s way.”
— from Sacred Path Cards by Jamie Sams —
One of the most important ceremonies in Native American teachings is the Give-Away
Ceremony. In this ritual, the giving away of useful or loved possessions is a form of
sharing with others and a sign that the giver is willing to make a sacrifice and surrender
a gift without regret. To make any act or any gift sacred, one has to complete that action
with a JOYFUL heart and a humble attitude. Giving is only the first step of the process
and provides the giver the opportunity to look within and examine the growth potential
associated with the Give-Away.
The teachings of the Give-Away are basic to native understanding. Many other lessons are
available to be learned each time one has the opportunity to share and is faced with personal
feelings that arise when a decision to “give away” is made. As we free ourselves from the
need to give with strings attached and from the regret that sometimes follows, we are able to
release our spirits and allow them to soar beyond the limitations of our former selves.
The Give-Away reminds us that generosity is a talent and a virtue; it is attained only after
giving up the fear of scarcity and placing trust in Great Mystery.
One of my JOYs for this year is to experience the Give-Away Ceremony, according to
the Native American tradition. I’ve selected several of my most enjoyed and treasured
possessions, and I am giving them away to friends and family members. Each item has an
individual story and, I hope, a fun energy. You are the recipient. Please feel free to enjoy it,
pass it along to someone else, or recycle it in some meaningful way.
I was first made aware of this Give-Away notion by my long-time “young friend” Lily Meltzer,
who is now around 98 years young. When she was “only” in her 80s, she bestowed on me an
exquisite turquoise and coral necklace.
Lily had herself received it from a
female Hopi elder many years before,
with the suggestion that Lily pass it on
to a younger “wise woman” when she
felt the time was right. There was an
implicit understanding that this next
recipient would do the same. This
necklace is one of my most treasured
possessions. Lily also mentioned that
a well-known art and jewelry dealer
offered her quite a large sum for the
necklace—an offer greeted with the
emphatic response, “No way, buddyboy!” That’s Lily for you… a very wise
woman. I’m a Lily wannabe.
Along with this Give-Away, I send you
love, smiles, and JOY!
Gail, wearing the Hopi necklace, with Lily Meltzer
in December 2005.
70
A S h a red Pa st
a s h a r e d past
by Gail’s sister, Linda Lindsey Meyers
it, Gail skipped second grade and was always in
the accelerated classes. Of course, Gail never ever
bragged about her artistic and academic skills and
accomplishments. But, as my youngest son would say…
She was AWESOME!!!
M
emories… Memories… Memories... a shared past. We each have our own memories of
Gail unique to our relationship with her. Mine are memories of a beloved sister and
best friend. My words will never do justice to those memories, but I wanted to take
a moment and paint a picture of “my” Gail, in order that you might get a glimpse of her past
and how it shaped her.
Our shared love of “fun” reading extends over time
from Nancy Drew to David Baldacci. As little girls,
we always read at night before going to bed. I think
it was a family tradition. My Mom and Dad in their
bed reading; our younger sisters, Jill and Lisa, were
in their room reading or looking at books as well. I
remember my Dad peeking into Gail’s and my room
at night and saying, “Girls, lights out.” Gail and I
would chime in together, “Just one more chapter,
Daddy!” Nancy Drew, of course, was hanging over a
cliff, or involved in some life-threatening moment or
groundbreaking discovery. Oftentimes, my Dad would
turn off the lights, and walk off saying, “Good Night
Girls, Sweet Dreams, and God Bless You.” But, little
did he know (or, maybe he did) Gail and I whipped out
our flashlights giggling under the covers and read a
few more chapters.
We all know Gail was brilliant and beautiful with an unparalleled joie de vivre, a determined
gentle and loving soul who would do anything and everything for her family and friends…
and for unknown souls as well. Always striving for excellence, always seeing the best in
each of us, telling us to pursue our dreams as she pursued her own. Always listening,
always caring, always supporting and teaching us to believe in impossible things, and most
importantly to believe in ourselves.
Since each of you already knows these admirable traits of Gail’s, I want to take you back in
time to what is unknown to most of you… so you can get to know the Gail I know and will
always love and to whom I am forever grateful. Besides our father, I am probably the one
with the earliest memories of Gail. For you see, Gail was my younger sister, younger by one
year and 5 months. Although we were not twins by birth, I have always felt as if Gail and I
were twins. She and I have shared so much of our life experiences as children, teenagers, and
adults. There are too many memories to recount – but, here are just a few:
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed,” we heard our Mom call as we jumped from one twin
bed to another. Little did our Mom know that we were on one of our many great adventures.
We imagined that our beds were ships, and that the blue carpet on our bedroom floor was
the ocean. In our minds we travelled to far off lands, ones that we had seen in the National
Geographic. Gail would invite me over to her ship, and I would do the
same—thus the bed jumping. Although travelling from her birthplace
Japan to the States was the first of many great adventures for Gail, I
believe our first memory of travels would be those taken on our ship/
bed… albeit these adventures were in our imaginations.
I remember my Mom recounting how embarrassed and horrified she was
that as a little girl Gail always seemed to have a cut or bruise on her face
or knees. And, of course, this was my fault. Gail was always trying to
do anything and everything that I, as her big sister, was doing. When I
climbed into her crib to retrieve a special teddy bear, Gail was right there
next to me. Even though her legs were not quite as long and her body not
yet as strong, Gail was right there alongside of me. She would extend her
small hand looking at me with her bright inquisitive blue eyes. Whatever
I climbed, Gail climbed. Whatever I attempted, Gail attempted and thus,
the scrapes and bruises. Gail was always pushing and challenging herself,
even as a little girl.
Gail and Linda — Girl Scout Daze
I was and am so proud of Gail. Brilliant even as a preschooler, I remember
adamantly telling my first grade teacher that my little sister could read,
just like me. We learned together. Of course, the teacher did not believe
me until Gail easily read back to her all about Dick, Jane and Spot. I still
vividly remember my first grade teacher’s look of pure astonishment
as this little blonde haired girl with big blue eyes easily read words her
own first graders stumbled over. For, those of you who do not know
71
One of many other adventures I especially remember
sharing with Gail was the summer National Airlines
was on strike. Since my Dad, as National’s General
Counsel, was swamped with management and labor disputes, family travel plans changed.
Gail and I were to travel by car with our maternal grandparents from Miami, Florida to their
home in upper state New York. Since my grandfather liked to begin our travels before the
break of dawn, truck stations and truck drivers with their coffee and doughnuts in the wee
hours were the norm for us on the trip. I remember one instance when little Gail, still in her
pajamas, having no qualms about her actions, walked right up to a big burly truck driver
and began animatedly talking with him. Even back then, Gail possessed the questioning look
in her eyes, her hands expressively motioning, totally focused and absorbed with the truck
driver and his words. My little sister was asking him where he had been and where he was
going. Gail was and always would be fearless and inquisitive.
Gail and big sister Linda with their mother, 1957.
As young girls, Girls Scouts was a big part of our lives. Gail took to heart the Girl Scout
credo that one should always leave a site in better condition than one found it. As the child
foreshadowed the adult she would become, I often think that this Girl Scout credo became
a basic tenet by which Gail lived her life. Gail was steadfast in her desire to leave the
Earth a better and greener place than she found it. And, of course she has. I think being a
Girl Scout was also the childhood experience that bonded Gail with nature and led to her
concerns for our environment. As Mariner Girl Scouts, we sailed from Miami to Bimini,
canoed and camped in the Florida Everglades and the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Gail
saw firsthand how the boundary waters were clean and pure because motor-operated boats
were specifically restricted from these waters. Other sights were also embedded in her
young mind. The waterways where motorboats were allowed, oil and dead fish forebodingly
skimmed the water surface. We experienced nature in all its glory and mankind’s destruction
of it as well. I believe, for Gail, these experiences were the sparks that ignited the flame of
her passion as an environmentalist.
continued K
72
As a young college student at Duke, Gail suffered an aneurysm, but survived even though
she had an out of body experience. This close encounter with death caused Gail to embrace
life. She questioned, “Why me? Why was I given a second chance at life?” Informed by her
understanding of the fragility and preciousness of life, Gail developed a consummate sense of
purpose. Gail did not need the words of the Roman poet Horace to remind her to “Rejoice while
you are alive.” Horace’s dictum to seize and savor every moment of life was a living reality for
my sister. Gail leaped into living and plucked the opportunities life presented to her, whether
it was completing her undergraduate education at Georgia Tech, obtaining her architecture
degree from Columbia, studying at the Beaux Arts, marrying her soul mate Mike, or becoming a
leading “green” architect. In sum and substance, Gail was a Renaissance woman—a person who
exuded an infectious joy for life and a voracious desire for knowledge in everything she did.
My sister’s intellectual interests and curiosity have always ranged a broad spectrum. Gail was
always on a quest for knowledge. And from all her new interests and endeavors, I was always
receiving a CARE package with a love note. Gail always wanted to share her new-found
knowledge whether it was a book on Native Americans and their faith or the liquid vitamins,
“vita-juice,” I drink every morning and think of Gail. I would be remiss in not mentioning
that my Care packages often contained the “latest” in fashion or rather items before they
came in fashion. My sister always had that special flare and was way ahead of the times when
it came to clothes and accessories. My wardrobe and I have always benefitted, although I must
admit, I could never “pull-off” the outfits quite like Gail.
So many memories are swirling in my head: they seem
endless. I can go on and on… But, I will close with one
last memory. It is one of many conversations I had with
Gail about life, cancer, and taking care of ourselves. Gail
told me the strangest thing when she said, “Linda, I am
thankful for my Cancer… I am thankful that it has made
me take time to smell the roses, enjoy life, and be grateful
for my life’s blessings. Mike has told me so many times
to relax and sit outside on our porch. Today, I came home
from therapy, and did not have any energy. I took a lemon
and went outside. Sitting on our porch, I sliced the lemon.
I have cut so many lemons in my lifetime, but this was the
first time I actually really smelled it as I cut it. I finally
took some time relaxing outside and listened to nature
around me. I heard the birds chirping and smelled the
damp freshness of the Earth. Life is good!”
Gail has become one with Mother Earth. It is Nature’s Way…
Linda and Gail at Longwood Cricket Club, Massachusetts, for
the US National Double Tennis Matches in August 1965.
Memories… Memories… Memories… we each have our
unique and special memories of Gail. Though these
memories may differ, each is an enduring testimony to the
goodness of Gail’s life and the redemptive power of her
living legacy. As Gail would often end her notes to me, I
close by saying: Wishing you and your loved ones Loads
of Laughter and Love on this Magical Journey of Life!
Continue to bloom and grow in splendid magnificence.
En “Joy” Life! Smiles,
Linda
aw a r d for l i fet i m e cont r i but ions
73
On April 15, 2009, Gail was posthumously presented with the North Carolina Leadership in Sustainable Energy
Award. Larry Shirley, director of the State Energy Office of the NC Department of Administration said, “We are forever
grateful for her dedication and uncompromising support to sustainable energy practices.” The award was accepted by her
husband, Mike Cox. The text of his speech follows.
I am grateful to Larry for contacting me and asking me to accept this award on Gail’s behalf.
I’d like to give a quick message to those of you who have heard Gail speak before:
Gail was the basic social component of our marriage; I am the introverted nerd engineer
component. Gail was an extremely dynamic and inspirational speaker. I want to warn you
that none of it rubbed off.
I remember driving Gail to the airport one afternoon—she was flying off to give a major talk
the next day. I asked “What’s the topic of your speech?” Her nonchalant rejoinder: “I don’t
know, I haven’t decided yet.”
Again, none of that assurance or capability rubbed off on me.
If you haven’t figured it out already, Larry is a smart guy. He initially told me only that
this event was a “Luncheon.” As an introverted nerd, my comfort zone for public speaking
is limited to at most a dozen people (and then only if I know them well). I thought that this
award ceremony would be a worthy reason to stretch my horizons to the 25 or so I thought
would be at this “Luncheon.” Only after I agreed to attend did I find out that there would
over 500 people here. Again… a cakewalk for Gail, but as I mentioned, none of that speaking
ability rubbed off.
Now that I have lowered the bar for my brief comments, I’ll do what I’m here for—give an
insider’s view of what Gail would have thought about receiving this award.
That’s really quite easy.
She would have been both delighted and surprised.
“Surprised” – That’s the important part. Gail received quite a few awards in her career,
had a lot of her work published, and many articles written about her. Whenever any of
these occurred, she was always delighted—and surprised. Many people have come up to
Gail and let her know that she’d had a profound effect on their lives. I heard about each of
these instances—because again she was delighted and always surprised. Surprised that the
attention she paid them, the follow-on meetings, the appropriate advice and introductions—
surprised that this made such a positive difference.
I would never say that Gail was “humble.” Humility would imply that she knew she was
special, believed that she was different, but was kind enough to behave as if she were
unaware of this fact. To the contrary, Gail never had any such realization; never felt she was
“special.” She never believed that she was contributing all she could, never felt complacent
that she had achieved all that needed to be done or all she had set out to do. This was one of
the main reasons that she really was so very special, and I suspect that it’s a main reason why
I was asked to be here today to accept this award on her behalf.
Thank you — from me, and thank you from Gail.
■
74
g a i l’s “ea r t h a ngels”
t he i ne x t i ng u is h a ble g a i l l i ndse y
75
by Mike Cox
Posted by Penny Bonda on February 5, 2009
A
green building pioneer died this week, but
her spirit will never leave us. Gail Lindsey—
architect, educator, innovative visionary—had
a profound influence on me and thousands of design
and building professionals. In fact, if you’ve used
LEED, Gail’s work has touched your life.
As an early advocate of the design charrette process,
she taught us how to “group think,” how to separate
everything into fives (ever wonder why there are five
LEED categories?), how to use the power of the story
and how to have fun—even with that which makes
us sad. In her typical way, Gail banded together her
“bc sistas” (yes, I’m one) and a large circle of friends
for support, good vibes, wisdom and prayers as she
courageously fought the breast cancer that ended her
life. Forming communities was one of the things that
Gail did best.
Described as a “powerhouse and a gentle soul,” Gail
was “green before there was a green,” said AIA in her
home state of North Carolina as the chapter presented
her with its 2008 Gold Medal award. She helped write
LEED, co-created the USGBC training program and
was one of the first LEED trainers. She’s given over
300 workshops and presentations, has been an invited
speaker at every AIA national convention since 1995,
and was granted AIA Fellowship.
Gail’s work has included: The Greening of the
White House, The Greening of the Pentagon, The
Greening of Habitat for Humanity, The Sustainable
Design Initiatives for the National Park Service,
The International Green Building Challenge and
companion GBTool, the interactive CD ROM—The
Green Building Advisor, the Department of Energy’s
web-based high performance case study database, the
Department of Defense’s Sustainable Design Training
Program, and the US EPA’s Energy Star Program.
As USGBC President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi said, “she
was an amazing voice in the Green Building movement
from the very beginning and an inspiration to all
that knew her. She was first and foremost a ‘human
being’ of epic proportions.” Recently Gail joined some
of her closest colleagues to form Delving Deeper,
an organization to facilitate integration between
ourselves, our work, our communities, and the world.
Her life’s work was not nearly done and she will be
deeply missed.
I loved getting Gail’s emails, some just to me, others
to her “monster” list. They kept us connected to her
and each other—always filled with lots of CAPS, lots of
dots…… and exclamations!!!!—and always ending with
her familiar signature.
SMILES,
Gail
March 4, 2009
In response to: The Inextinguishable Gail Lindsey
Karen P commented:
T
here needs to be here some mention of a fraternity that I can’t hope or pretend
to fully fathom—a sisterhood who share the travails of breast cancer and use the
experience to assist others who must also traverse this tough road. It would be
entirely understandable for any woman who makes it through the basic program—whatever
combination of chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation that their condition warrants—entirely
understandable for her to turn her back on anything and everything related to the
experience, try her best to relegate the ordeal to a walled-off corner of her memory.
Thankfully there are women who take a different tack and use the knowledge gained to help
others who are on some part of this difficult journey.
Three women merit a special mention here, and while I don’t know all of what each of them
meant to Gail, I will try to relate a key experience.
Gail was more than a bit scared when we went to her first chemo infusion. She had rejected
the initial clinic because of its sheer size and associated air of impersonality. Dr. Hathorn’s
clinic in Durham was much smaller, the clinicians all very friendly. At one point I joked about
how much it seemed like a beauty parlor—with the minor difference being that its customers
emerged with no hair rather than with new hair.
There was no joking this first day. One of Gail’s favorite quotes is from Whitman: “Re-examine
all that you are told… reject that which insults your soul.” Being injected with chemicals
so hazardous that the clinicians wear a plastic shroud when administering them was most
certainly an insult to the soul of this “organic vegetarian” whose major vices were caffeine and
occasional sweets (and Gail suffered guilt pangs about both).
Gail was almost as concerned about clumsy but well-intended well-wishers as she was about
the infusion. She had been warned about these ham-handed helpers by several breast cancer
survivors, and we had an exhausting experience with a particularly chirpy version during
some of her initial lab tests. For protection, Gail picked the most out-of-the-way corner of
the “chemo-parlor” on our first long
visit. She shrunk into her chair, closed
her eyes and listened to “affirmations”
on her CD player, while I sat by, an
utterly useless appendage.
This may seem a strange comment, but I want to convey my own condolences to Gail’s friends
and family on her passing. I didn’t know Gail well at all, but came to recognize her as a
regular customer at the Ten Thousand Villages store at which I work. When Gail came to the
store, we delighted in helping her to find the right thing for each person on her list. She gave
such consideration to each selection, she would sometimes spend an hour or more just looking
and thinking. I felt that she had a genuine appreciation for the work the artisans put into
our crafts and that she wanted to convey that appreciation and uniqueness to the recipient. I
remember the last time she came in that I was there, she had on a wig and I didn’t recognize
her at first. She didn’t talk about it, saying instead that being able to change wigs was an
amusing way of trying on different personalities. Only a few special customers leave such a
lingering impression on me, and even fewer make me feel like they love the store as I do. I
will miss her spirit. ■
Karen Gantt (left) and Audie Schechter (right) party with Gail during the last of her
initial chemotherapy infusions.
Near the end of this first infusion,
Karen Gantt came by. If Gail were less
polite, Karen might have been firmly
shushed away, just a bit too much to
deal with. Instead, Gail sat up and
engaged with Karen fully, just as she
would have with anyone under more
normal circumstances. Karen wasn’t
chirpy, sunny, or obnoxious, but
instead straight-forward, honest, selfdeprecating, and above all, helpful. She
took Gail’s mind temporarily off of her
fears and answered the questions that,
thanks to Karen’s demeanor, Gail now
felt free to ask.
continued K
76
At the next infusion three weeks later, Karen introduced Gail to Audie Schechter, an architect
who had gone through her own full round of treatments. Hard to say if Karen brought Audie
along only because of the architecture connection, or if she had some premonition of the
deeper bond that Gail and Audie would come to share.
Karen visited frequently during the course of Gail’s chemotherapy sessions, which spanned five
months, but to my recollection, Audie came every time after their first meeting. Gail and Audie
shared many interests and while it would be impossible to say that Gail ever looked forward
to one of the appointments, she did look forward to her talks with Karen and Audie. When one
would arrive, I had enough sense to provide some space and read a book while they talked and
laughed. The initial sense of fear that Gail had was driven far away and, while these friends
were there, the many-hours-long sessions became more like a raucous tea-party.
From Karen’s last message to me:
I think of you often, Mike, and hope that you are taking care of yourself during this dreadful
time. It still is hard for me to wrap my brain around what has happened. I was blessed to know
the both of you and hoped I helped in some small way. I always called her grasshopper and she
called me OWO (old wise one). I think now it should have been the other way around!
Love, Karen
I still correspond regularly with Audie, and while I could never expect to approach the
connection that she shared with Gail, she remains a close and trusted friend. She and Gail
experienced a kinship that went far beyond their mutual breast cancer journey, and they got
together many times outside of the clinic, sometimes with me and Audie’s terrific husband
Arnie in tow.
I can only hope they all each realize how much they meant to Gail—and how much they made
her tough travel through cancer treatments easier to endure.
A third Earth Angel who deserves thanks
and recognition is Penny Bonda. Gail wasn’t
aware that Penny had breast cancer in her
past, and it was comforting for Gail to know
that this accomplished woman was able to
go on with her life with so much style and
aplomb. Penny’s biggest gift to Gail was to
provide an occasional and particularly apt
pearl when Gail was most in need. I’ll relay
one here; this statement was so helpful and
timely that it brings a welling of grateful
emotion whenever I think of it:
Gail’s initial treatment regimen was
chemotherapy, followed by mastectomy,
concluding with radiation. I was incredibly
impressed with Gail’s courage and fortitude
Gail with Penny Bonda during Adult Summer Camp, August 2008.
leading up to and through the rigors of
surgery, but this was followed by a bout of
low spirits that I was powerless to combat. Penny came through with words that made a world
of difference and allowed Gail to put this phase of her treatment in the rear mirror and move
forward again with her characteristic optimism. The simple truth Penny imparted: “What you
lost in the surgery wasn’t your breast—it was the source of the cancer that’s threatening your life.” ■
ho w do w e lo v e m or e?
77
Chapter excerpt from Women in Green: Voices of Sustainable Design by Kira Gould and Lance Hosey, © 2007
Used by permission. Ecotone Publishing.
“What really makes sustainability work?” ask architect Gail Lindsey and environmental
consultant Joel Ann Todd. “What are its deeper core values, core purpose, and core process?”
Having worked with many organizations and co-authored a guidebook to integrated design
charrettes, they are experts on facilitation, so we asked them about working with people.
What they talked about instead was love.
Gail Lindsey:
I spoke on a panel at a conference recently, and a student asked, “What
can we do to make a huge change very quickly?” The panelists mentioned
several important things—fuel efficiencies, technology, daylighting and
passive strategies, and so forth. And I said, “All we have to do is love more.
Love ourselves more. Love the ecosystems more. Just love more.” I had
been a little afraid to say it, but I think that is the crux of it. The students
really responded. I got a standing ovation!
Women in Green: Why were you afraid to say it?
Lindsey:
Our society is left-brain dominated. The logical and scientific have
primacy. In the context of that, it sometimes sounds strange to ask, “How
do we measure love?”
Joel Ann Todd:
People wish for an easy technical fix that our left brains can understand.
But this issue is really about a change of heart—changing the way we live,
not just the way we design buildings.
Lindsey:
A mentor once told me that to change the world, I should change myself.
But that’s hard! Sustainability is most profound when you find it
personally. Once you respect and love yourself, you start respecting and
loving and valuing everything else—other people, the planet—because you
know that you are connected.
Todd:
The real magic is that you need people pushing forward in their own
ways. When you bring that together, it’s more powerful than having
everyone in lockstep. It’s messier and more difficulty, but much richer.
We need emotion and reason. We need it all.
Lindsey:
It’s a balancing act. Let us all be whole and let us all be integrated. It’s
a cultural challenge. Kids are incredibly intuitive, and it seems that our
education system is training them away from intuition and connections
with nature. Are we cutting down that real knowledge and connection
to nature?
Todd:
Things in nature just automatically do their best. The ant is carrying
leaves, and the plant it reaching for the sun. We’re the only ones making a
conscious decision not to do what it is we can do the best way we can do it.
Lindsey:
What we really mean by sustainability is making our highest and best
choices, every day with every thing.
WiG:
How do we decide what’s highest and best?
continued K
78
79
Todd:
You start by having the conversation with people you trust. And then you provide opportunities for
the conversation for other people. Community visioning workshops are one of those opportunities
for people to talk about their values, what they really want for their community. It’s up to people
organizing these events to provide a trusting and comfortable environment.
That’s how we learn more about what’s highest and best. There’s the highest and best for me
personally, and then there’s the highest and best thinking more broadly.
Look at where you agree and disagree and look at the ways to work on that. How do we get
something positive out of resolving the differences?
Thinking broadly involves understanding implications. When consequences are revealed, people get
it.
Lindsey:
Look at what we want to accomplish together. What we all need now for positive evolution is the
highest energy we can have. Tapping that energy is critical.
Todd:
I think most people that are doing this kind of work have these impulses within them. We’re a bunch
of do‑gooders even if most of us won’t admit it. Most people welcome a comfortable opportunity to
have these discussions.
WiG:
How do you begin to talk about sustainability with someone who has never considered any of these
issues?
Lindsey:
I think if you open up, others will too. Remove the judgment and have the conversation openly.
Todd:
People will surprise you. Gail and I have worked with people you might think would be hard to
convince and they get it quickly, with a depth we didn’t expect.
Lindsey:
[Environmentalist] David Brower once told me, “Whatever you do, make it fun. If you are passionate
and you want others to join in, make it fun.” I heard that before age six we laugh 400 times a day,
but as adults we barely make it to four.
WiG:
The two of you have worked hard to demonstrate what an integrated process looks like and how
it relates to what you call the core values and purpose of sustainability. What is the distinction
between values and purpose?
Todd:
Values are the basis on which you construct a purpose to go forward or a purpose to do something.
They are the basic underpinnings of everything you do.
Lindsey:
Joel and I are working with different universities. Yale is viewing sustainability from the biophilia
perspective—their purpose is to engage the human connection to nature. But at MIT, they are
focused on infrastructure and technologies that enable sustainability. These groups can have very
different core purposes but shared values.
Todd:
Our goal is to get people talking about values, not just the technological fix. Most of our
conversations happen to be about making a building more efficient, but if we start talking about
values, we can probably get to a much better place.
Lindsey:
I gave my “love” talk to a policy group—lots of three piece suits. The first guy that zoomed up to me,
a retired military guy, said “I loved your talk. We need more love in everything.”
Todd:
It would be great if we were having more conversations about what it really means to love more. If
people were thinking about that personally and professionally, things would really shift. ■
Lindsey:
People ask me about how to deal with people who think their best choices are McMansions. I believe
we respect everybody where they are. We might find out that what we’re doing now is not, after all,
highest and best. You have to be open—respect everything and continually question.
Todd:
Lindsey:
How D o We L ove More?
WiG:
Are you saying that sustainability itself needs to be questioned?
Todd:
There is the possibility that we may not be doing the right things at all. We talk about this all the
time, as we travel by airplane to conferences all over the world. We’re still not behaving holistically
and thinking beyond the building. An energy‑efficient building may be having negative effects on
its community for some reason, and that’s certainly not sustainable.
WiG:
You’re both talking of left- and right-brain thinking. Is this related to men and women, respectively?
Lindsey:
Yes, but also cultural and other differences. The Japanese encourage women and men both to engage
in right- and left-brain thinking, but American culture emphasizes the left brain. If someone is
a great deal more intuitive, whether female or male, that is likely to be discouraged in our school
system.
Todd:
One thing I love about working in this particular field is that there tends to be less stereotypical
division along gender lines. You find men who are very open to the spiritual side of the work and are
very articulate about it, too.
Lindsey:
This field does seem to be very trusting and open—it’s a very good community.
Todd:
People tend to be very collaborative instead of competitive.
Lindsey:
It may be that we all have masculine and feminine sensibilities and this topic empowers us to
cultivate both parts.
Todd:
I definitely have both—I want to know how to measure how well we’re doing.
Lindsey:
Diversity of any kind is critical—then the effort functions like an ecosystem.
WiG:
There appears to be greater gender balance in sustainable design than in the design industry at
large, but racial and ethnic diversity are still very low.
Todd:
Diversity is growing, but it’s still low. What will change that is when we stop thinking about
green design as the technical side of things and we start thinking more about its relationships to
community. That’s when we’ll include professions that are more diverse.
Lindsey:
It may also be that we are not yet working closely enough with other groups, some of which are very
diverse. Some of the groups just coming into this field are more diverse. And student populations
are more diverse, too.
WiG:
How can people with diverse backgrounds, views, and agendas work well together?
80
g a i l — f r iend , col leag ue, muse
81
by Joel Todd
In reading the many comments
for the “Gail Project” I have
been struck by the depth of
feeling they convey—Gail
was a treasured friend, valued
colleague and teacher, and
inspiration to so many. She has
been all of that to me for more
than 15 years.
I
’ll never forget the first time a young
exuberant volunteer, Gail Lindsey, showed
up for one of the early COTE Advisory
Board meetings. In spite of her age (one-half
to one-third the average board member) and
lack of experience, the conversation and the
potential of COTE changed when she entered the
conversation. Even though it was more than a
decade before she would write Believing Impossible
Things, she was already practicing the concept;
she couldn’t accept the limits the advisory board
had accepted; she offered five transformative
ideas, and she offered herself. Looking back on
this and scores of other experiences with Gail at the White House, Pentagon, National Park
Service and USGBC, I don’t think her new ideas would have been embraced had it not been for
her Gail Force magic. I can’t describe it adequately but know it includes a unique ability to be
present, to hear the core values beneath the words, to love unconditionally and to educate and
infect the participants with a healthy virus that brings new awareness, wisdom, confidence
and community.
Her accomplishments and influence on the green building movement in the nearly two
decades since that meeting are legend. I am thankful for her awesome contributions and
profound impact on me and countless others. I will miss her smile, her infectious giggle and
her ability to, as Lincoln said, “Evoke the better angels of our nature.”
Lance and Kira, thanks for telling Gail’s incredible story and for challenging us to consider
that she has been preparing us for her departure and it’s now time for all of us who were
touched by her to be present and employ her Gail Force Love and Magic.
Love,
Bob Berkebile
I
met Gail in the early 1990s through our green
building work with the AIA. Then, in 1993, we
both spoke at the Building with Value conference
in Seattle—in the midst of technical presentations
on energy efficiency and life cycle assessment, Gail
talked about collaboration and process. She told
the story of how we start to teach values to our
children—in Western cultures, one of the first things
we reward in our children is their ability to walk
“all by themselves,” while in indigenous cultures
studied by Margaret Mead, children were rewarded
for helping one another. We had dinner that night and
talked for hours about that story, green buildings,
our lives, and probably our hair! We began a joke that
lasted throughout our friendship—that we were twins
separated at birth, although we were born in different
years to different mothers….
In the years that followed, we worked together as
often as possible and our friendship grew. Working
with Gail was amazing—because she was so smart and
creative, every project was “brain candy”—spinning
ideas, asking questions, and trying new things. She
did not believe in “either/or,” she believed in “both/
and”—bringing ideas and people together to form
something better rather than settling for one of the
alternatives offered.
Our projects took us all over the United States and
to many other countries. We almost always found
opportunities to shop and eat good food, which were
really opportunities to explore together and chat at
a leisurely pace. And Gail always left behind a new
fan club (except perhaps the rental car agent who
happily announced that he was “upgrading” us to an
SUV—after Gail had reserved a Prius! He received an
impromptu training moment…)
We learned early that we needed our own time at
the end of the day and rarely shared a hotel room.
One exception was a retreat in Shepherd’s Ford,
Virginia—as the only two single women at this “dormstyle” facility, we had a private room overlooking
the hot tub—we giggled as the male participants
settled in for a nice soak. Then Gail, the best sleeper
I have ever met, went immediately to sleep! At
Greenbuild, the USGBC’s annual conference, Gail’s
wonderful travel agent, Kathy, usually found us an
inexpensive hotel away from the bustle. Gail was
continued K
82
Ga i l — F r ie nd , C ol leag ue, Mu s e
so popular that conferences were both exhilarating
and exhausting. She needed time to relax and center,
away from the many people who wanted a little of
her time and attention. We always saved a Greenbuild
night for dinner to celebrate both of our birthdays.
At Greenbuild 2007, Gail received the USGBC’s
prestigious Leadership Award. She didn’t really feel
like attending, but came to Chicago for 24 hours—and
was able to spend time with some dear friends.
A funny thing about “Mom’s Key Lime Pie”—
and I think Doris enjoyed this story—was that I
took it to a neighborhood Thanksgiving dinner
one year because my “other half” doesn’t like
the super-sweetness of pecan pie. Everyone
looked at me like I was a lunatic, but the Key
Lime Pie was so refreshing after a big dinner
that it was gone in a flash—and became an
annual tradition.
In recent years, several of our favorite colleagues
formed a loose “Gang of Five”—Bill Reed, John Boecker,
Nadav Malin, Gail, and me—to work together and to
Mike gladly tagged along on business trips. Here he joins Joel and
think together. Our frequent conference calls and
Gail in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2003.
occasional meetings focused on pushing the envelope,
developing new ideas, discussing our values and our
lives. Among other things, this led to a meeting at
Pocantico of remarkable thinkers to discuss “expanding our mindset”—how can we change the
way we think about buildings and communities so that we can fundamentally change the way
we design, build, and operate them? Gail was our muse and we recognized this any time Gail
was not on a call. The discussion would be flat, ordinary, less productive, less fun, less JOYFUL.
We are now trying to figure out how to go forward without our muse.
Gail and I would talk almost every day, about work and life, the important and the trivial—
what we were reading (including P.D. James, Donna Leon, and Carl Hiaasen in addition to
the more serious works), what we were cooking (fun with lentils, beans, and her Mom’s Key
Lime Pie), her ever-changing diet and exercise programs (sometimes scary), and the worries
of the day. During a stressful patch, Gail would engage in her favorite hobby—organizing (her
office, her closets, her husband’s closet…). If a conversation began with a reference to what
she had been organizing, I knew that we needed to talk. In our frequent discussions of more
important questions, like “what’s next?” she talked about how she was trying to change her
life and wanted to figure out how to help others think about changing theirs. We talked about
writing a book or a web site and we outlined five (of course) major topics; we also talked about
“centers of energy” that could give people a place to gather, learn, discuss, and recharge. She
was working on simplifying, giving away things she no longer needed. She hosted “Green
Teas” to give friends an opportunity to meet and also to trade clothing, jewelry, and other
“stuff.” This was evolving into the Give-Away Ceremony.
Gail had enormous gifts and talent—but being amazing wasn’t easy. She worked hard to be
so darned terrific. She was a perfectionist—few of Gail’s clients know how hard she worked
to get things just right—late nights and working weekends were standard. “Good enough”
was not in her vocabulary. She prepared thoroughly for her presentations and arrived
early—nothing was left to the last minute or to chance. She struggled with writing and didn’t
think she was good at it. I could never convince her that when she wrote from her heart, no
one was better. She always credited Mike as her premier reader and editor, though he swears
that his assistance rarely exceeded encouraging her to trust her heart. Read her Believing
Impossible Things—you will smile, cry, and be changed. She loved getting compliments and
was devastated by a negative evaluation after a workshop (and there was the occasional
curmudgeon who just couldn’t stand so much positive energy and JOY). She was generous
with praise. After particularly challenging conference calls, we would call one another
immediately to say “You were fabulous!”
83
Mom’s Key Lime Pie
Doris Lindsey | January 22, 1998
9 oz. Ready Crust® graham cracker pie crust
Gail could get frustrated or angry or sad, but she
wasn’t one to stay there very long. Even during the
past two years, she was able to find the positive. In
addition to her search for deeper JOY that she shared
with many friends, she was finding joy in ordinary
things. She was spending much more time enjoying
the lovely woods and gardens around her house. She
played with her new kittens. And she began to enjoy
cooking, finally seeing it as a creative exercise—for a
while, it seemed that she was making up a different
soup every night (and wondering when Mike was going
to start complaining)!
Gail was—and is—a magical force. We all knew she was
brilliant, creative, generous, nice, funny, and loving;
but her magic is not just what she was, but what we
became because of her. Her love and light inspired us
to be smarter, more creative, more generous, nicer,
funnier, more loving, more filled with JOY than we
could imagine. How lucky we are to have been touched
by her magic and to have the opportunity to carry it
forward. I will miss her more than words can say. ■
Filling:
Cream 12 oz. softened cream cheese.
Add 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk.
Beat with hand mixer for 10 minutes.
Gradually add 1 cup fresh key lime juice.
Blend until smooth.
Put filling in pie crust.
MERINGUE:
Combine 3 jumbo egg whites and
1
/2 tablespoon cream of tartar.
Beat for 5 minutes.
Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar.
Beat for 5 minutes more.
Put meringue on top of filling.
Brown meringue in 350°F oven
approximately 8 minutes. Watch carefully.
Cool pie on wire rack.
Refrigerate pie for 8 hours.
Serves 8.
84
W h at Wou ld Ga i l D o?
wh at w ou ld g a i l do?
85
by Mike Cox
In trying to decide what should be the concluding piece to this celebration of Gail’s life and
marking of its end, it’s natural that my thoughts turned to – What would Gail want?
Better yet, what would Gail do? This cuts two ways: What would Gail herself do for someone special
who died, and what would Gail be doing were she still here (and want to see carried on)?
I feel very lucky in that I have significant help in relaying what I think are the best responses to
each of these questions.
I didn’t find this to be fully satisfying as it leaves out
something concrete for people who want and need
something more concrete, and also—it doesn’t adhere
to Gail’s “Rule of Five.”
I also solicited input from Gail’s new community—
those who have experienced breast cancer. One
foundation came up repeatedly.
Therefore I feel ready and able to finish up the list:
How to Honor Gail’s Memory
On the cremations society’s obituary page, I concluded with something along the lines of “Gail was
an ardent defender of the environment. In lieu of flowers, please simply do something nice to the earth.”
Many people want something more concrete, and many never saw this notice, so I continued to
receive lots of questions from people who wanted to honor Gail in some way. I did not have a quick
answer at hand. Gail was certainly generous but I don’t know of a particular charity or foundation
that she was singularly passionate about. To continue with my idea of “doing something nice for
the earth,” I put out a request to those with whom she worked the longest and most closely in the
environmental design field.
This is the response from her friends and colleagues Joel Ann Todd, Bill Reed, Nadav Malin, and
John Boecker:
4. If you want to take a concrete action
beyond, or instead of, the personal
and transformative suggestions of
items 1, 2, and 3, please consider
a donation to the Susan G. Komen
foundation.
5. What would Gail really do? – She’d
be innovative and ignore all of our
advice. If you knew Gail well enough
to still be reading these final pages,
you have all you need to invent your
own personal and appropriate way to
honor her memory.
Our challenge: To envision an appropriate memorial to honor Gail, based on who Gail was.
We tried to come up with an appropriate memorial for Gail that could guide people who wanted
to remember her, such as a list of charitable organizations that represented Gail’s interests or
a physical place of reflection. We finally realized that this wasn’t really “Gail”—she was not
about breast cancer or green buildings, though these were among her interests; and, she was all
about individual empowerment. Her deeper interests are reflected in her work with Bill Reed on
Delving Deeper. The idea behind Delving Deeper is to explore how each of us, through love and
making connections, can more fully participate in the whole of life. From the Delving Deeper
web site: “To heal the planet and heal ourselves in a way that deepens all relationships so that we
become whole again.”
So, we are encouraging people to delve a little more deeply into themselves, to be creative, and
to support local efforts of the type near and dear to Gail’s heart:
1. Personal sustainability and our relationships with each other and the web of life
2. Personal health in its broadest definition, nurturing our spirits as well as our
bodies, and dealing with challenges to our health in positive ways
3. Love – for ourselves and our communities and our planet.
What can each of us do, in our lives, to be a little more Gail-ish? How can we each embody
those qualities in her that we so admire and love? These are the most appropriate memorials
we can create—hundreds or thousands of individuals and groups, participating in efforts to
promote personal sustainability, love, smiles, and JOY.
How to Continue What Gail Felt Passionately About
Gail was not one to stand still or settle on any one path. She was all about making herself
and everything else better. When asked, she would say that the reason for her switch to
environmentally conscious architecture was the brain aneurism she endured at the age of
twenty—the partial paralysis, the long hospital stay, and the arduous recovery. My firm belief
is that, consciously or not, her real reason was much more simple—to improve the world, and
with her architecture skills and experience, green architecture was the obvious entree into
transforming the world.
Gail had moved beyond buildings, and this was more satisfying to her because she could be more
intimately included. It’s one thing to improve the planet by building your own environmentallyconscious home and encouraging others to do so. Far more intimate and satisfying is working on
the bigger picture by improving others as well as yourself.
I’ll let her collaborator Bill Reed describe Delving Deeper (already alluded to above). Throughout her
last months this was Gail’s unceasing passion and a great comfort. There is so much that is not
fair about her death; high on the list was that she was not able to help see this through, as Delving
Deeper seemed the perfect culmination of her hopes, talents, and desires. ■
86
Ga i l a nd D e lv i n g D e ep e r
g a i l a nd delv i ng deepe r
87
by Bill Reed
G
ail was not interested in ‘doing’ life; she
was interested in ‘being’ life—discovering
a relationship with the whole of life—the
foundation for reconnecting and discovering ‘joy’.
The discussions we had about the concept of Delving
Deeper revolved around how to share and teach that
the state of Joy doesn’t come from just what we do. At
its essence, it comes from a deep love, understanding,
and valuing of one’s self and then offering this
understanding and love to all other living entities.
Green design is a wonderful entry point for this
wholeness because good design requires a high level integration of
systems and self to be effective. There is no end-point to integrating
ourselves with others, our shelter, sources of food, and with life. Gail had
this attitude of connection deeply ingrained in her soul. It is why she was
so present to those she met and with whom she conversed.
Gail’s exploration of how to share this with others is what brought
a number of us together to try and move green design to its logical
deeper meaning and effective purpose. We had some wonderful creative
work sessions as she offered her discoveries of how necessary it is to
love ourselves in order to understand this deeper purpose and how we
might teach and share this awareness. I was interested in offering this
perspective from my more left-brained path and wanted to make sure we
helped bridge the gap for others so they might more easily make the leap
from simply doing things to the world to instead simply being nature.
As Gail was often fond of saying, it’s not either/or—it’s both/and. In fact,
Delving Deeper was and will be an exploration of how we use both: the
heart and mind, spirit and logic, quantity and quality to understand the
whole. The leap—from a world of left-brained logic to one of apparently
illogical left and right-brained wholeness—requires us to understand and
value life and our relationship with Nature in a way that is as natural as
our own breath.
The Education of Little Tree, by Forrest Carter, is one of Gail’s favorite
books, and it is now one of mine. If for no other reason than Gail
recommended it, please read it. It captures the essence of becoming whole
better than any poem or book I have read.
In our own ways, Gail and I tried to capture the spirit of wholeness
conveyed by Little Tree. We wrote about what we hoped to share through
Delving Deeper and placed it on the web site. This may be the best
summary of Gail’s work during the last few years:
We, Gail and Bill, are both architects and long time
advocates of sustainable design practices. We’ve observed
that the design and other professions are increasingly
engaged in more and more sophisticated technological
solutions to the planet’s problems—without significant
progress and benefit. It has become apparent that
these ‘solutions’ are responding to the symptoms of the
problems—not the real issues. These real issues are the
fractured relationships between people and the web of life;
the awareness of the commons; and our responsibility to
take care of each other. In other words, we have grown
unconscious of the whole inter-related system of life on
Earth. The purpose of Delving Deeper is to consciously
practice becoming whole—this means becoming aware of
how to take care of, understand, and love ourselves, our
communities, and our planet.
This is hands-on practical work. It is as real as an energy
model or a recycling program and by giving equal focus to
both physical and the invisible relationships (spirit, energy,
love, etc.) is how we become whole. In fact, the only way we
will ever achieve a sustainable condition—a vital, thriving,
healthy living system—is to begin the journey of delving
deeper—re-membering the nature of nature.
Part of our process of re-membering nature, and our integral membership
in it, was Adult Summer Camp. The photos of Gail and the group of
friends who joined her at our recent camps might capture the essence
of her perspective—to relax into a FUN!!!!! state of mind so that we can
discover ourselves and ‘be more real and whole’ than we typically are in
the hectic pace of ‘life’. ■
88
On June 6, 2009, Gail’s Green Goddesses and Gods joined
almost 50,000 others in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
in Washington, DC, as a tribute to Gail. Our generous donors
contributed more than $5,500 toward the $4.3 million that was
raised. It was an amazing, emotional experience—a sea of
pink, women and men, young and old, many ethnicities and
nationalities, each with a story of a beloved woman or man
with breast cancer. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill
participated, along with other celebrities. But the real stars
were the survivors, wearing special pink t-shirts; everyone
applauded their courage. We laughed with the woman wearing
a costume that included pink bra cups as shoulder pads and a
pink bra as a hat band. We cried for the child wearing a sign
that just said, “for my mom.” As we walked, we told stories
among ourselves of our Gail.
Gail’s Green Goddesses and Gods will be walking again in
2010—join us or start a team for an event in your area!
Gail reflected back to everyone a better image of themselves—
better put, she showed us Gail’s vision, a true best vision, of
ourselves. She gave us all her full attention and helped us see
what was possible. This allowed us all to face the world with more
assurance, gave us the confidence we might otherwise have
lacked to go out and do great things.
■ Michael Cox, 03 February 2009
Three members of the “Project Gail” team (Ana, Joel, and Mike) want to give special
thanks to its fourth member, Carol Derks. Carol has given unconditionally of her time
and considerable talent. Gail was blessed to have in Carol both a good friend and a
world-class graphic artist. Carol’s words: “…you don’t know how much I miss her,
my most creative and supportive client of all times.”
COVER: ROLLAND ENVIRO100PRINT, 100% RECYCLED CONTENT
INSIDE: ROLLAND ST30, 30% POST-INDUSTRIAL, RECYCLED FIBER
PROCESSED CHLORINE FREE, FSC CERTIFIED AND
MANUFACTURED USING BIOGAS ENERGY
GRAPHIC DESIGN: carol a.s. derks | derkstudio
© 2009

gail a. lindsey, faia

Transcription

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