And now it’s time for the next edition of our new series here on The Show: Second Acts. Every so often, we’ll bring you stories of Arizonans who are starting over, trying something new, turning a new leaf, so to speak. Maybe it’s midway through life, maybe it’s in retirement, or maybe just as they’re getting going.
And today’s second act features a name and a face you might recognize — if you ever watched the news in Phoenix in the ’70s or ’80s.
That is, of course, Mary Jo West, a trailblazer in Phoenix television. In 1976, she became the first female news anchor on local TV.
It wasn’t easy. She was a woman in a man’s world. But Mary Jo kept her head up and covered everything from sexual assault in Arizona’s prisons to the time her own co-anchor was held hostage in the station for five hours. Even off air, she was a Phoenix fixture, starring as Maria in the Phoenix Theatre Company’s 1982 production of “The Sound of Music.”
And she remains a fixture here today, but now at Sky Harbor International Airport, where The Show tracked her down recently.
Full conversation
GILGER: All right, I’m in Terminal 4 at the airport, kind of a slow Wednesday, walking through, looking for a recognizable face at the information desk. I think I see her. Mary Jo, hi. How are you?
WEST: I’m so blessed. It’s been a great day. Only 50,000, but this morning was really busy. But right now, of course, now that you’re here, it’s gotten slow.
GILGER: Only 50,000 people through the airport today, is that what you mean?
WEST: That’s right. Departing, departing. Yes, dear.
GILGER: That’s right. Today, West can be spotted three days a week at the information desk in Terminal 4, greeting guests, offering directions, helping folks find their gate — all with a smile.
WEST: Can I help anybody?
TRAVELER: We’re looking for a food court.
WEST: Yes, ma’am. Go halfway down. It’s on the left and right. There’s some really good restaurants. And also, don’t forget Phoenix Flight Club, which is right behind us. OK? Sure.
GILGER: So you’re just out here being an ambassador for the city, kind of like you always have been.
WEST: I’m telling you, it is the best part-time job. You know, I turned 77 next week. And what it does is it keeps my brain sharper than normal.
When I retired, it didn’t work. I failed at retirement. This is so invigorating. I get to meet so many people from around the world.
I just love it and like — you will understand, dear Lauren. It reminds me of the newsroom. Every single day is different.
Hold on. Come over here, please.
GILGER: OK.
WEST: Can I help anybody?
TRAVELER: Sky Train to car rental?
WEST: All right, let me show you what to do, sir. See the women’s blue restroom sign? Take a right. That’s our Phoenix Sky Train bridge. Cross the bridge, take the escalator up to the train on the left. Got it? Train on the left. Don’t get off until three stops later, which is the end of the line.
TRAVELER: OK. Thank you. Thank you.
GILGER: This happens a lot while I’m trying to interview her.
(To West) Twenty-five years on TV here. You were the first primetime anchor who was a woman in Phoenix history. And I know you kind of trailblazed for women in news here. Talk a little bit about what you feel is your legacy on that front.
WEST: I feel so proud of the team members that I worked with because — I have to go say hello. Can we? These are precious friends of mine.
Oh my gosh, Sue and Dan! Hi. I’m being interviewed by KJZZ. This is Lauren Gilger. The famous Lauren Gilger.
GILGER: She knows everyone, doesn’t she?
DAN: She does know everyone.
GILGER: A good position for someone who knows everyone in town.
WEST: Love you. Bye.
SUE: Love you too, sweetie. God bless.
WEST: This happens a lot.
GILGER: It does seem to happen a lot. Do people recognize you from your time in news?
WEST: You know, they do. Today it was like five or six. Usually it’s just a couple a day, but I’m delighted. And we take selfies together. It makes my day and makes me happy. But getting back to your question.
GILGER: Getting back to my question, she told me it was one of the greatest jobs she ever had and one of the toughest.
WEST: It was tough. It wasn’t easy. You know, every day I’d have to pass by the sheet that was posted on the bulletin board of people who called in and things that they would say. A lot of times it was about the cosmetic burden.
You know, with your time on TV, it was like, “Didn’t she have time to sleep?” or “We hate her new hairstyle” or that we don’t like that outfit, etc., etc.
GILGER: Oh, I’ve been there. Yep.
WEST: I know you have. I call it the cosmetic burden. But I can’t even begin to tell you what it meant to me covering the floods that happened in the late ’70s. So many big stories happened, and it was the perfect time to be in television news because every day something technologically happened that was different.
I remember getting the first fax that was covering the Democratic convention in Detroit. Helicopter live shots, on and on and on. It was so exciting.
GILGER: West applies that same passion to her work today at Sky Harbor.
WEST: What I do is I do exactly what I did when I looked into the camera all those years I was on TV. I make that camera one person, and I’m speaking either to someone’s grandmother or I’m speaking to a young man or a young woman. Here, I look right directly into their eyes and try to figure out what their story is.
And I can make that connection by doing that and seeing them as a person and not just as a passenger. You know, it’s not perfect. There are days when people are grumpy, and I get yelled at.
GILGER: People get mad at the airport.
WEST: Oh, yeah. I’ve only lost it once in almost seven years. I won’t tell you what I said back to them. I don’t want to get fired. But most people just want directions and a big, big smile.
What I do — and I probably embarrass my daughter sometimes at drive-thrus and things. And my grandson. I do this with everybody.
GILGER: You can’t help yourself.
WEST: I can’t help it. I come from the South. You know, very hospitable.
GILGER: So it’s so interesting because what you’re talking about, this whole idea of failing retirement, right? Like retirement’s hard for a lot of people, especially people who have been very successful in their career, as you were. I wonder how you view that.
WEST: Mother Teresa said that she wanted to die on her feet. I’m close to Mother Teresa because I adopted a baby from her orphanage years ago that she gave us. I think that we have to keep pushing ourselves regardless of the number that’s next to our name and not to be ashamed, not to be afraid.
You need to get out there because we have so much, so much to offer. So I love that part of after retirement. Some people do it really, really well and as you say, live to retire. But I’m just the opposite. I have other adventures I’m going to do, even hopefully if I’m into my 80s or 90s.
GILGER: I have a feeling you will be.
