DAPHNE, Ala. — Sept. 22, 1993, is etched indelibly on Becky Mayr’s brain.

“The Amtrak disaster was one of the most horrible things we saw,” said Mayr, of the early-morning derailment of the Sunset Limited at Bayou Canot just north of Mobile that claimed the lives of 47 and injured another 103.

As coordinator of the American Red Cross Blood Service Office of Volunteers in Mobile, Mayr remembers being greeted that fateful morning at the office by two longtime volunteers and a “line of people out the door waiting to give blood.”

“The response to that disaster was just tremendous, and I will always remember it,” said Mayr, of Daphne, who retired March 31 after nearly 32 years with the blood services organization.

During a March 25 retirement ceremony to celebrate her more than three decades of service, Mayr was presented with a commendation from Gov. Bob Riley, recognizing her career with the Red Cross.

The Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Blood Services Region also presented Mayr with a special Tiffany Red Cross plate, and Rep. Jo Bonner lauded Mayr’s service in a letter.

Mark Beddingfield, CEO of the Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region of the American Red Cross, said Mayr’s impact on the community is undeniable.

“When you think of the Red Cross in Mobile, you think of Becky Mayr,” Beddingfield said. “I think her biggest accomplishment is that by our calculations, she has touched approximately 3.3 million lives in her time with us. That is an extremely impressive credential to say the least. Though we may try to fill Becky’s shoes following her departure, I am certain that no one can ever replace Becky.”

Mayr actually joined the Alabama Gulf Coast chapter as a temporary hire in the summer of 1978, while still a kindergarten teacher. Within weeks, however, then-CEO of the local blood services region, Pat Jones, created the Office of Volunteers and named Mayr its coordinator. Since that time she has been solely responsible for the recruitment, scheduling and coordination of a volunteer base that today totals about 1,450 people.

“I’m the only person to ever hold that position for the region,” Mayr said.

She was tested almost immediately when Hurricane Frederick ravaged the Gulf Coast in September 1979, but by that time Mayr said she was already entrenched in her service, and she credits her lengthy and distinguished career to the unwavering support of a committed volunteer base.

“This is a volunteer organization, and our core volunteers are a tremendous group of people,” she said, noting volunteers are responsible for executing such tasks as transporting blood to hospitals, working canteen and registration areas at blood drives and making bags for the collection of blood.

“They give of their time, and in the process they save the region money by performing jobs that may otherwise be performed by paid staff,” Mayr said.

And while she considers her departure from the Red Cross bittersweet, she said the opportunity to spend more time with her children and grandchildren is the perfect culmination of a rewarding career. She won’t rule out future stints as a Red Cross volunteer, though. It’s in her blood:

“This has been an awesome 31 years and awesome opportunity, and I am grateful to have had the chance to touch so many lives. It has been a great experience and it’s something I am glad I was a part of. I plan to play with my babies and put my toes in the white sands of the Gulf of Mexico, and I’m sure I’ll still find a way to volunteer with the Red Cross. It’s in my blood.

“I just hope that at the end of the day, I’ve made the same kind of difference in the lives of others that has been made in my life.”