Moment longtime Walmart employee Gail Lewis gives emotional sign-off after working at the Illinois store for 10 years: ‘Today was an end of an era for me’
A beloved Walmart employee has gone viral after posting a TikTok video of her emotional farewell to her Illinois store.
Gail Lewis, 42, worked at the retailer’s Morris location for a decade before making her retirement announcement on November 16, which she uploaded to social media. The video has since been viewed 3.2 million times on TikTok.
“Attention Walmart, this is Gail Lewis, 10 year employee, Morris, Illinois, 844, signing out. Good night,” Lewis said as she spoke into a walkie-talkie.
She then got emotional about her time at Walmart and revealed that she’s starting a new job, but it’s unclear where she’ll go next.
Lewis, known for her customer service, was revered in memes by locals after her viral video. One shopper who knew her said her “level of dedication will not be matched.”
Gail Lewis made her final announcement as an employee at the Walmart in Morris, Illinois as she recorded it and posted it to TikTok
Since her post, Lewis has gone viral on social media and is ‘remembered’ as a dedicated employee with great customer service skills
In the second part of the viral video, Lewis sits in her car as she gets emotional about her decision.
‘So today was the end of an era for me. What you just saw was me signing out for the last time at my Walmart where I’ve worked for ten years.”
“It’s a happy/sad thing because I’m going to a better job,” Lewis says.
She reminisces about the bonds and friendships she made with her co-workers at Walmart.
‘Those people have become like family. I’ve been through a lot with them.’
‘They looked at my back, I looked at theirs. They helped me, I helped them,” she says.
“We even went through a pandemic together.”
The TikTok post alone was flooded with more than 40,000 comments and was posted to other social media.
Some memes have portrayed Lewis as a member of the NFL, as someone linked her to former American football quarterback Tom Brady.
Lewis was compared to legends in both the NFL and NBA, as one commentator said: “2018 LeBron, pats Tom Brady, 2006 Kobe, 90’s Jordan, gail lewis.”
Another meme on
Lewis decided to leave the major retailer after working there for a decade and said she will be ‘better off’ in her new job
One commenter reminisced about a moment he and his friend shared with Lewis in 2014, when she helped clean up a broken gallon of milk
In addition to comedic memes, people from across the country commented on Lewis’ customer service skills, which seemed to have fueled her popularity.
‘Pour one out for Wal (sic) Mart tomorrow. Gail Lewis, 10 year employee, Morris, IL 844 has left. They don’t stand a chance this Black Friday,” someone said on Facebook.
Another commenter recalled a moment they shared with Lewis in 2014 after a gallon of milk broke in the store.
‘That woman was up to her neck in milk. The level of dedication will not be matched,” it said.
A friend who was with the poster at the time then reposted it, adding that Lewis was “in the trenches keeping the chaos in order.”
Yelp reviews of the store have also been filled with notable comments about Lewis since she announced her departure.
“Morris is home to one of the most chaotic WalMart (sic) Battlegrounds known to man. I am grateful that my Great Aunt Gail served and survived,” one man commented on Yelp.
He added that Lewis received “a purple heart and medal of honor” on Black Friday in 2022 when she “handled three customer inquiries” while cleaning up spilled detergent.
In addition to social media, Yelp is also flooded with heartfelt comments about Lewis
Lewis poses with a cup of instant ramen while wearing a T-shirt with the brand’s name on it in Walmart
Lewis has been compared to NFL and NBA legends because of her time at Walmart
Many compared Lewis to a soldier who fought long and hard at Walmart, adding “SEMPER FI” to the end of their comments.
Carrie Moses, store manager of the Morris Walmart location, shared NBC: “I am grateful to Gail for her service at the Morris, IL store, and she will be greatly missed.”
“I wish her all the best for her future opportunities.”
DailyMail.com reached out to Walmart’s office for comment but did not receive a response in time for this report.