By Mike Rea

On March 12, 2003 Gayle Brenegan passed away.  Gayle had been a friend, confidant, mentor, school bus driver, School Bus Driver Instructor and a CASTO Chapter 13 stalwart.  Gayle epitomized the CASTO Creed.  She worked hard and played hard and had a kind word for everyone.

In this maddening dance we call life, we tend to get so wound up in our daily challenges that we barely are able to pick our heads up and see the bigger picture.

 Gayle was one of those very special persons who "got it": could see the big picture, and she took the time to help anyone around her. She was one of those persons that everyone wanted to gravitate to because she infused life and joy in ev­ery event and made those around her feel good about themselves.

  Gayle began her career as a schoolbus driver well over 20 years ago, careful not to take too much time away from raising her children. She worked as a bus driver at a number of districts and was sponsored by the Analy Union High School District to attend the School Bus Driver Instruc­tor Program in Sacramento. At about that same time Gayle poured her en­ergies into CASTO Chapter 13.

  Gayle pioneered the concept of CASTO Chapters marketing school bus paraphernalia at the Conference and at Roadeos in order to create the financial security that was necessary to keep the chapters afloat. Gayle and her husband, George, operated a small company called the Apple Press. They printed "T" shirts and produced other collectibles. It made great sense to produce unique items for the Chapter to sell. Their artist designed a special logo that placed a bus on some large hands with the words, "Children, our Most Precious Cargo" surrounding the picture. That was reproduced on mugs and shirts and stationery as well as pins and other collectibles. We are sure that Gayle and George never made very much money on those items, but CASTO surely benefited from them.

  There wasn't a local workshop, Roadeo or school bus event that Gayle wasn't working on—whether it was planning, instructing, registering, cooking or selling collectibles.

  When the Analy Union High School District consolidated into the West County Transportation Agency, Gayle was instrumental in getting the Agency off the ground and designing the Agency's new logo.

  During every State Conference, Gayle's room was the social center for all of Chapter 13. Food, libations and loads of laughter—it made the conference even more of an event than it was.

   In 1992 Chapter 13 hosted the CASTO Conference. Gayle was instru­mental in the planning and execution of this superb conference.

  A mentor is a wise and trusted teacher and friend. Gayle was that to me and to everyone she met. She had that uncanny ability to make you feel important, cared-for and valuable. I know that I would often share ideas with Gayle, or vent or just share a good joke. I relied on her wisdom and candor to help me through some challenging times.

  Over the past few years her good friend and fellow retired School Bus Driver Instructor, Helen Frazer, visit­ed Gayle often through her illness, re­marking how Gayle never complained and was always more concerned with others rather than herself. On March 12, 2003, Gayle passed away after a long bout with cancer and Parkinson's disease. We will all miss Gayle, a special friend and a school transportation pioneer.