Lifelong Friendships: Kay Brinnon Alldritt, Vicki Wheeler, and Vicki Pettit Foss

Kay Brinnon Alldritt, 1959

I never had a sister…until Vicki came into my life.  What a blessing!  Vicki and I became friends in 3rd and 4th grade at Hyde Elementary.  Even when her family moved over near WSU, we still spent the night and had so much fun.  We lost track of each other in intermediate, only to get together again at East. She was, without doubt, the best cheerleader ever.  Her jumps were so high, she seemed to have springs in her legs.  (Left, Vicki Pettit)

In my mind, the three things that are paramount in any discussion about Vicki are her capacity for love, her humor, and her intelligence.  She loved and adored her family, made friends wherever she went, and always let us know we were loved, including the persons she worked for.  Vicki was always happy and her laugh was so infectious you had to join in.  She made me laugh harder than anyone else in my life. Her quick wit was a real indication of her intelligence.  Vicki was so bright!  Ever play Trivial Pursuit with her?  How’d that work out for you?  She always beat the pants off us.  She had a phenomenal memory and an insatiable appetite for information and knowledge.

Vicki Wheeler ’61 We had so many good times together – working at Tin Pan Alley which we co-owned in the 70’s, shopping for the business at the Dallas market two or three times a year, trips to see a friend in Colorado Springs. (She would always say, “Ladies, don’t take these mountains for ‘granite’,” pranks in a San Francisco hotel, and more.  (Right, Vicki Wheeler)

Vicki certainly made an impression when we shopped at the Dallas market for the Tin Pan Alley store. We shopped the same show rooms every time.  I was always walking ahead of Vicki and would reach the next showroom first; Vic, being short and slow, followed behind.  When I walked in, nothing much would happen.  Then Vic would walk in and every Rep in the place would greet her by name.  Then they would finally figure out who I was.  So Vic was short and slow and I was chopped liver. We were a good pair. 

We usually did a pretty good job of buying, but a few times we missed the mark.  Vic saw some “fruit purses” one time – little apples, bananas, and watermelons.  She thought they would be cute for golfers or something.  So, we bought them and when they arrived at the store, I unpacked them and put them in a large basket.  When Vicki came in later that day she stopped, looked at the basket, then looked at me and started laughing.  We laughed so hard we had tears running down our cheeks.  We couldn’t even wait on a few customers who had come into the shop then.  Before we could get control, every one of those customers was standing around that basket laughing with us.  Every time one more would wander over, it got funnier. 

One time, a group of us girls – some of the usual suspects – were out for dinner one night.  We had 8 or 10 at our table.   Up came a guy who had had one too many.  He was determined to talk to one of the gals across the table from Vicki and me.  Our friend was trying politely to get rid of him, but he wasn’t getting the hint.  Vic watched it for a few minutes – then reached into her purse, got her billfold, stood up, leaned over the table and WHACKED him right on his head.  Of course he left, and it was thirty minutes before any of us could stop laughing enough to talk or even take a breath.

It was Vicki’s unassuming, unconditional love that made us all feel so welcome in her life.  It wasn’t shallow or frivolous – it wasn’t conjured.  In fact, if Vic were here right now she would say (wave away) OH, KID!

Editor’s Note:  Please share your comments or remembrances of Vicki Pettit Foss.