I'll try to give you an overview of our meeting with Gregory Peck on
Sunday, June 28, 1998. I'm a sales and customer service representative for
Signature Flight Support in Charlotte, NC. We are the fixed base
operation (FBO) that handles private aviation such as corporate, private and
commercial airplanes. Airlines use the main terminal in Charlotte. We have
many VIP and celeberty guests that prefer to use Signature Flight Support
for privacy and security reasons. I was asked by Robbie Wood of the Barter
Theatre in Tri-Cities Virginia to help Gregory Peck and his wife Veronique when
they arrived on USAir and see that they get from the main terminal to
Signature Flight Support to connect to a private jet to Virginia. It was,
without question, an honor to even consider helping them to their private
jet. Robbie made me aware of the purpose of the trip which even made the
honor more special. Mr. Peck was returning to the Barter Theatre to speak.
This is where he began his career in acting.
When my wife and I met him at USAir, we went immediately into the Club room
for USAir and visited for forty-five minutes in the private conference room.
He was a gracious man and wanted to tell us all about his trip to Ireland
and Canada and the details of his visit to Virginia to the Barter Theatre.
He said the theatre got it's name back in the depression when people would
pay for their tickets with food. Hence, barter became the name it uses today.
We just sat back and wanted to listen to his stories in his eloquent style
of delivery. It felt as though we were live in the movies or on a set. He
was wonderful to listen to and watch.
I did some research, thanks to you and your web site. It was most helpful
and I copied several pages of information so that I might be prepared when I
met him. One was the poem he wrote that was part of your site. He laughed
and said it was great that you had this on the internet. He also mentioned
you and all that you have done for him through the web site. He said you
were a fine man and somewhat shy, but he thinks the world of you and spoke
very highly of your efforts.
By the time we secured their luggage, we felt like we were part of his
family. He seemed as though he could sit an tell us stories about his
career and life well into the night, but we had to get them to their next
plane. We gathered up his luggage and set out for Signature Flight Support
to connect with his Citation Jet to Tri-Cities airport in Tennessee. We
drove them straight through the gate and out on to the ramp to the plane.
As I was about to say good by in the van, I turned to Mr. Peck and said
"...you have done so much to make this world a better place and we all have
enjoyed your contribution. Thank you so much and God bless you". He and
Veronique smiled and said thank you and everyone.
Having said that, we proceeded to unload the van and load luggage and two
wonderful passengers into the sleek, shinning jet. We said our good bys and
I wished them well and watched them taxi out to the runway and woosh into
the afternoon sun.
Our lives are richer now from this experience and I hope we made some little
impression on them too. What a wonderful man and woman.
Best regards,
Bob Joiner
