The Global Gratitude Show with Karen Ryan Pam Am Flight Attendant
The Global Gratitude Show with Karen Ryan Pam Am Flight Attendant  
Podcast: Brushwood Media Network
Published On: Mon May 25 2026
Description: Karen Walker Ryan was born in Whittier California in 1942, graduated from Whittier high school in 1960 and the University of California at Santa Barbara in1965. She worked for the US military in Germany as a recreation specialist, traveled to Israel and worked on a kibbutz. She then taught high school for one year in Garden Grove California before joining Pan American Airways in 1969. From 1970 to 1975 she was married to her college sweetheart, Alan Reynolds. Using Panam travel benefits they traveled in Africa and New Zealand. Both avid skiers, they lived in Squaw Valley and Sun Valley as well as Missoula MT. In 1973 she moved back to Missoula, Montana, where she resides to this day. For her last few years of flying, she commuted from Missoula to Los Angeles. Karen went on to write a social political column for regional newspapers and worked as a freelance writer. She became an entrepreneur and created a well respected nationwide company that staffed the homes and estates of high net worth individuals. She had a happy 40 year marriage to Daniel Ryan who died in 2019. They had one son, Paul Walker Ryan. They ranched, 30 years in Missoula and ten years in Ronan, raising sheep and alfalfa. In her 70s she took up scuba diving and traveled to far reaches of the world for diving experiences. Now 83, she is a regular Bridge player, avid walker and loves to hang out with her four-year-old granddaughter. (Note; Found: The Lost Children of Saigon by Karen Ryan can be found in the May 2000 publication of Reader's Digest. Her original article entitled A Planeload of Babies was published in the May 1976 Reader's Digest. A short ABC film nominated this year for 2 Emmys featuring Karen and Operation Babylift can be found on YouTube entitled Operation Babylift: The 50 year Journey-a special edition of 20/20. Also to be found on YouTube: Operation Babylift: A celebration of the human spirit.