SVU Student Reactions to the Retirement of Gail Lewis
By Jetty Huish
“Attention Walmart, this is Gail Lewis, ten year associate, Morris, Illinois, 844, signing out, good night.” This is the heart wrenching message heard by shoppers over the intercom at the Walmart in Morris, Illinois on November 16, this year. After posting the video of Lewis giving this message, it was only a matter of time before it blew up, because this is a video exhibiting the departure of an icon. The original video received over 22.5 million views in less than two weeks, and has received even more through the reposting of it all over social media. People around the country have expressed their grief and sadness over the retirement of America’s most beloved Walmart employee. The creation of sad videos, comments, and memes honoring her departure, everyone has been expressing and grieving the loss of Lewis in their own unique way.
Not only have people on social media been impacted by Lewis’ retirement, but many students here at SVU have been deeply affected by her leaving Walmart. Here are some reactions and thoughts on Gail Lewis from students here at SVU:
Parker Arnold (junior): “People tend to blame the government for inflation in this country. However, ever since Gail Lewis left Walmart, the need for more security and staff has increased so much that its chain reaction has increased prices throughout the whole country.”
Mikaera Puriri (junior): “Walmart just hasn’t been the same since Gail Lewis left. Every time I go there now, I just feel kinda depressed because she’s not there. She just brought a spirit there that no one else could. Like, I was actually happy to spend my whole paycheck. I don’t even know if I’ll go shopping there anymore. Sad times man, sad times.”
Elyssa Holman (freshman): “We have suffered a great loss of losing Gail Lewis. Thank you for your service and sacrifices, Gail Lewis. Her service will never be forgotten in the Walmart community.”
AJ Peterson (freshman): “Some people say to never meet your heroes, but if I could have met Gail Lewis, maybe my dog wouldn’t have died in a car crash in 2020. Gail Lewis was there for me when nobody else was. Gail Lewis was the only person hitting up my phone when I was in my feelings. Gail Lewis was more than just an employee, Gail Lewis was a culture. Gail Lewis was a legend. Gail Lewis… was the friends we made along the way. Even after Gail Lewis retired, I still smell her at every Walmart I go to. I still see her face everywhere I go… Live, laugh, love Gail Lewis.”
Bree Knight (sophomore): “I just recently got my mission call, and I will definitely be using Gail Lewis’ example of hard work and dedication out in the mission field.”
Quin Shumway (freshman): “When I think of the greatest of all time, there’s 2 that come to mind… Only Gail Lewis is able to rival the athleticism, leadership, and physical power. Lewis’s run on the Black Friday weekend of 2017 is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. A true professional.”
Liz Ursenbach (freshman): “Her hard work and dedication is super inspiring. I hope to be half the woman Gail Lewis is one day. Happy retirement, Gail!”
Landon Lewis (freshman): “My second Aunt, Gail Lewis (ten times removed), has been one of my biggest role models in life. She has taught me how to be a hard worker in life. Her dedication to everything she does inspires me to be more like her. I hope to carry on her legacy at Walmart one day, as we share our last name. Lewis for LIFE! I LOVE AUNTIE GAIL!!!”
Though her retirement has clearly caused people on social media to be deeply affected and she even had a massive impact on the mentality of many SVU students, the seismic impact of Lewis’ retirement has a much broader destruction than one may realize. As displayed on the graph above, since her departure from Walmart on November 16th, 2023, the stock price of Walmart has gone down over eight percent and has not recovered since. Could her retirement be a scheme from high level hedge funds to make a quick buck, or is Gail Lewis really that influential in the functionality of Walmart?
It may be a sad time for us, but for Gail, she is onto bigger and more important things. In a new video she uploaded, she gave a little bit more insight and details about her retirement and plans to move forward, “It’s a happy-sad because I’m gonna be going to a better job and those people became like family. I’ve been through a lot with them. They watched my back, I watched theirs. They helped me out, I helped them out,” Lewis shared. “We even went through a pandemic together,” she said about her coworkers. “It just hurts, but it’s a happy-sad because where I’m going, I’m gonna be better off where I’m at, that’s all,” she said.
Gail, even though it is hard to see you go, and it is a really sad time, it is still a “happy-sad” for everyone who has admired your work ethic and tenure at Walmart. Thank you for your service and example. It will be missed and appreciated by SVU students and people for generations to come. Good luck with your new job and bring forth the same hard work and dedication you brought to Walmart for the past ten years!
