CANCER SURVIVOR REOPENS STORE WITH SIGNATURE STYLE.Byline: JASON Jason, in Greek mythology Jason, in Greek mythology, son of Aeson. When Pelias usurped the throne of Iolcus and killed (or imprisoned) Aeson and most of his descendants, Jason was smuggled off to the centaur Chiron, who reared him secretly on Mt. Pelion. KANDEL Staff Writer GLENDALE -- Gail Becker Gilhooley didn't think she'd live to see 50. Diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2004, the longtime hairstylist feared she wouldn't get to spend much more time with her loving husband, nor see her daughter enter her teens, nor gossip with endless streams of customers whose hair she had coiffed from her Glendale shop since 1987. But she beat cancer, made it to her 50th birthday in March and today will celebrate the grand reopening of her store, Signature Styling. ``This feels good,'' said Becker Gilhooley, who sold her shop to a fellow employee in January 2005 and bought it back in March. ``I love being around my clients. I'm back again as the owner of Signatures.'' Becker Gilhooley was born in Burbank in 1956 to a mother who was a housewife and a salesman father who worked for the Santa Fe Railroad Santa Fe Railroad, former U.S. railroad, chartered in 1863 as the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe RR; opened to traffic in 1864. Construction continued, and in 1880 it reached Santa Fe, N.Mex.; the following year the railroad connected with the Southern Pacific RR. and a concrete cutting company. Gregarious gre·gar·i·ous adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. See Synonyms at social. 2. Tending to move in or form a group with others of the same kind: gregarious bird species. and jovial (Jules' Own Version of the International Algebraic Language) An ALGOL-like programming language developed by Systems Development Corp. in the early 1960s and widely used in the military. Its key architect was Jules Schwartz. , she chose her profession because she enjoys being around people who trust her to keep their secrets. ``Every person has a story,'' she said. ``They trust the stylist.'' She's cut the hair of three generations of family members who've filed through her store. She laughs hysterically when recalling the hair styles she's given throughout the years -- the Dorothy Hamill Dorothy Stuart Hamill (born July 26, 1956, Chicago, Illinois) is an American figure skater and 1976 Olympic champion. Hamill was born in Chicago, but her family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut shortly after where she spent the rest of her childhood. wedge, the Afro perm Perm (pyĕrm), city (1990 est. pop. 1,090,000), capital of Perm Territory, NE European Russia, on the Kama River. It is a transfer center for rail and river traffic and a major producer of machinery in the Urals industrial region. , the Janis Joplin Noun 1. Janis Joplin - United States singer who died of a drug overdose at the height of her popularity (1943-1970) Joplin . Today, it's color -- chunky streaks, highlights, vivid reds. She gives cuts for men and women for between $15 and $200. For those who are stressed out, her colleagues offer manicures, pedicures, facials and hot-stone and deep-tissue massages. She also provides another special feature -- ``Locks of Love,'' in which children who grow their hair long can donate their strands to wig-making companies for children with cancer. ``It makes my fuzzy little heart melt,'' said Becker Gilhooley, who was diagnosed with cancer after a routine breast exam. But she always stayed positive and kept working as a stylist at the shop -- even through six chemotherapy sessions and 30 radiation treatments. ``You gotta do what you gotta do,'' she said. She didn't even let the fact that she lost her hair during chemo che·mo n. Chemotherapy or a chemotherapeutic treatment. get in the way of her push to survive. ``I had some great wigs,'' she said with a laugh. Frank Mendicina, 64, an owner of a business software and hardware company, has had Becker Gilhooley cut his hair for 15 years, hoping for a Richard Gere look -- a ``mod look'' -- and a manicure. He used to get weaves, too. ``She's probably one of the best stylists I know, number one. And two, she has the best manicurists in town,'' Mendicina said. ``I come here and I'm one of the family.'' jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com (818) 546-3306 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: After giving up her hair salon A hair salon (also called 'Hairdresser' and 'Hair Parlour')is a place where one goes to get their hair cut, as well as styled, highlighted or coloured. There are many different types of hair salons that one can choose to go to. during her struggle with breast cancer in January 2005, Gail Becker Gilhooley is set to reopen Signature Styling today in Glendale. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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