Gayle Zinda

Gayle was born in Fort Thomas, Kentucky in March of 1956 to Albert and Bernice Litmer. She is the middle child of five-with an older sister, Connie and brother Jim, and two younger brothers, Wayne and Jeff. Gayle married and had two sons, Adam and Nicholas. She worked as a nurse administrator in a Kentucky Ob/Gyn office until in 1989 she met a woman who would change her life.

It all began when a saleswoman slipped Gayle a note with a phone number, saying, “This is someone you should meet.” She read the name on the note: Rita Snider. Yeah, sure, Gayle thought, as she dropped it into her purse. And there it sat-for a year, lost among the loose change and old gum wrappers. One day, on impulse, Gayle dug out the note and called. As soon as she said hello, Rita Snider replied, “Honey, I’ve been waiting for your call.”

A few days later, Gayle visited with Rita, and listened to the remarkable story of her battle with breast cancer. Diagnosed at age 36, Rita began her chemotherapy and promptly lost her hair. It was the first of nine times that this would occur. After a humiliating search for wigs and a prosthesis, Rita declared “never again”. Determined to help others, Rita began a business called The Lemonade Stand. “A place to come and be refreshed”, it was a safe and comfortable salon that provided women with everything they would need in their own fights with cancer. For several years, Rita had tirelessly helped hundreds of women fight the same battle that she was.

Then Rita surprised Gayle, by saying, “The Good Lord told me that if I hung on long enough, He’d send someone to carry on this business. As soon as you walked in, I knew it was you.”

As amazing as this sounded, by the end of the day Gayle decided to quit her job and devote herself to The Lemonade Stand. Rita passed away later that year, but Gayle kept her dream alive for another decade. Those years were filled with financial struggles, heartaches, and challenges without end; but there were countless rewards as The Lemonade Stand went on to help over 10,000 clients.

During those 10 years, Gayle opened stores in Northern Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio and was President of the Kentucky branch of the American Cancer Society for three years. It was then that she met Dr. Michael Zinda, a prominent Radiation Oncologist and tireless volunteer. They were married in 1998. Between them they have six children; Adam, Nick, John, Phillip, Claire, and Luke-and two grandsons, Colin and Jaxon. They live with their two dogs, Teddy and Jorge on a beautiful lake in Wisconsin.

Gayle now travels as a motivational and inspirational speaker, keeping the story of The Lemonade Stand alive. She continues to deliver Rita’s positive messages of hope, hard work, and faith. You can read more about her story in Pink Lemonade: freshly squeezed insights to stir your faith available now, on this website or at your local bookstore. Ask for ISBN# 0-9770368-0-4.