CAROL CROWN
October 7, 1948 – February 9, 2026
Manhattan Chapter

A native of Pennsylvania, Carol was born on October 7, 1948. She received a BA from Muhlenberg College before joining Pan Am in 1970. Based at JFK, she flew until 1972. Following Pan Am, she earned an MBA from the Wharton School and relocated to California to begin a career in high-tech.

Carol held positions in training and development in the telecommunications and biotech fields, before accepting an offer from Sandia National Laboratories, which included responsibility for Education, Training, Development, and extensive University Recruiting. Her career blossomed at Sandia Labs and, at the time of her retirement, she was a Senior Human Resources Business Partner, supporting Homeland Security and Defense Systems.

Carol joined World Wings on the day she stopped flying, originally as a member of the Philadelphia Chapter. She immersed herself in the organization and, upon her move to the Bay Area, she joined the San Francisco Chapter, where she held positions as Vice-President of Membership, Co-VP of Programs, and twice as Co-President. She held the latter position until moving back to the Philadelphia area in 2019.

In addition to her service in the San Francisco Chapter, Carol held positions on the World Wings International Board as Recording Secretary and Vice-President Ways & Means.

Passionate about helping others, Carol was always available to lend a helping hand. She volunteered at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, with the Daughters of the American Revolution, and as a member of the Peninsula Clef Hangers, a women’s choral group that brings the joy of live music to seniors and veterans in the mid-Peninsula area. In her “spare time,” she enjoyed traveling, collecting fine wines, and needlework. She found her soulmate later in life, in a serendipitous moment at a college reunion, and married Jeff Schmitt in 2016.

Carol is survived by her husband, Jeff Schmitt, and her sister, Barbara Crown, and will be terribly missed by her many friends in the World Wings organization.

There will be a Celebration of Life on February 27th at the
Riddle Village LifeCare Retirement Community:
1048 W. Baltimore Pike
Media, PA 19063

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made on her behalf to CityTeam Chester, which provides solutions for families and homeless individuals by providing meals, shelter, and other essential resources.

Mailing address:
CityTeam Chester
PO Box 89
Media, PA 19063

Online:
Cityteam.org/give-help/chester

KAY OPPENHEIMER
December 19, 1942 – January 6, 2026
San Francisco Chapter

Kay Oppenheimer passed away after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by loving family members. She leaves behind her husband of 33 years, Jay Oppenheimer, son Nick, daughter Alexandra, and grandchildren Sol, Remi, and Gea.

Born in England, in 1964, Kay flew to the United States to begin her career with Pan Am. After only a few years of traveling the world, her time with Pan Am ended when she opted to start a family. In that era, Pan Am did not allow mothers to continue flying. Her professional life, however, was far from over and reflected an extraordinary range, from pioneering a global gemstone enterprise to early computer-based innovation, as well as years working in Human Resources in Silicon Valley.

Over the years, she kept in touch with some of her Pan Am classmates. In 1989, a quarter-century after graduating from the Pan Am training school, she organized a reunion. Nearly all of her former classmates attended the event, traveling to San Francisco from various places in Europe and Canada. Thereafter, they held a reunion every five years until the last Class Of ‘64 reunion in
2019 on Zoom. The Class of ’64 is reputed to hold the record for sticking together for be the longest period of time–55 years–and is a tribute to Kay’s organizational skills.

In her retirement years, Kay pursued many volunteer positions, among them becoming a board member of the SFO Chapter of World Wings. She was in charge of the chapter’s communications and quarterly newsletter, inspiring many World Wingers to contribute their own Pan Am memories. During the COVID isolation period, she sent out jokes to the membership to keep them entertained and connected. The jokes were so well received that they became a fixture of the SFO communications.

Kay’s memorial was attended by over 100 people and was a resounding testimony to the impact she had on others. Kay was too well-loved to ever be forgotten.

DORLEE RETINGER
April 14, 1930 – January 14, 2026
Long Island Chapter

Surrounded by family, our dear friend and longtime member Dorli Retinger passed away peacefully on January 14, 2026, at the home of her son Stanislaw, in Springfield, New Jersey.

Dorli was born and raised in Northern Switzerland, in the town of Schleitheim, one of five children of Jacob and Hermine Peyer. In April, 1950, at the age of 20, she arrived in New York after sailing from France.

She was selected as a stewardess for Pan American World Airways and flew to many exotic locations during the fifties. She married Witold Retinger, a Cargo Operations Manager for Pan Am, in 1960. They started life together in Queens Village, NY, and moved to Nassau County less then a year after the birth of their first son, Stanislaw, in 1962. About 2 years later, their second son, Michael, was born. Dorli and “Ret” raised their family at the house in Bethpage and that is the place she would consider “home”, although she always maintained a strong tie to her native Switzerland.

Witold passed away in 1982 after battling cancer and Dorli briefly considered a return to a life in Switzerland. Instead, she decided to remain on Long Island. She joined World Wings, held various officer’s positions in the Long Island Chapter, and was our the Recording Secretary till she turned 90. As long as she was physically able to do so, she still visited family in Switzerland, never missed a World Wings Convention, the Manhattan Chapter’s Spring Luncheon, or one of the Long Island Chapter’s social and fundraiser events. She frequently provided rides to members who needed
transportation.

Dorli loved gardening, playing tennis, volunteering at her Church and working in their Thrift Shop. She loved her family, especially her grandchildren and her great-granddaughter.
We all will miss Dorli for a long time to come — rest in peace, dear friend!

Condolence cards may be send to:
The family of Mrs. Dorli Retinger
36 Seitz Drive
Bethpage, NY 11714

There will be a wake at McCourt & Trudden Funeral Home, 385 Main Street, Farmingdale, NY 11735 on Thursday, January 29, 2026, from 5pm – 9pm.

Memorial Mass will be held at the Farmingdale United Methodist Church, in Farmingdale, on Friday January 30, 2026, at 11am.

PATRICIA HAZEL REX
February 7, 2026
Boston Chapter

Patricia Hazel Rex of Newton, MA left us on February 7, 2026 at the age of 87. She died peacefully in the company of friends.

Pat was born in Lehighton, PA, and graduated from Lehighton High School and Mansfield State College, PA. She earned her tuition through scholarships and by playing the organ and piano in local churches. She never forgot how to play “The Wedding March.”

After teaching for awhile in New Jersey, she lived her dream life as an international flight attendant for Pan American Airways, and later Delta Airlines, for over 40 years. She often said, “Imagine paying me for something I love to do!” Traveling and learning about other cultures was a source of adventure and joy for her. As well, she was an accomplished concert pianist, artist, gardener, and a member of the Newton Choral Society.

She was predeceased by her parents, Harley and Marie Rex, and her older siblings, Dr. Harley Rex JR, Anna Edmundson, Catherine Seaman, and Helen Rex. She is survived by nieces, Sandra Harder and Joni Bosserman who were especially attentive to their aunt, as well as other relatives spread out across the country.

Pat was blessed with wonderful friends/caregivers who continued to stay with her during her medical decline, especially longtime companion, Magistrate Henry H. Shultz, Stephanie Reid and Suzanne Reid, among many others.

Her interment will be in the Gladden Huetten Cemetery in Lehighton, PA, beside her parents and sisters.