Former Vice Chairman of NRLC’s Board Regina R. Smith Passes Away
Regina R. Smith, the vice chairman of the board of National Right to Life from 1985 to 1997, passed away April 12, 2005. The Honorable Regina Smith served on the Board of Directors of National Right to Life as director from Connecticut from 1983 to 2001. For many years she headed up a vibrant Connecticut Pro-Life Council office. During those years she worked closely with many religious leaders on educational pro-life projects in Connecticut.
She was elected to the Connecticut Senate as a Democrat in 1978 and served three terms. For a number of years she was chair of the influential Senate Health Committee, where she was extremely effective for the pro-life cause. She received the University of Notre Dame Golden Dome Award for Outstanding Civil Leadership, the Connecticut State Outstanding Civil Leadership Award from the Connecticut Knights of Columbus, the McGivney Award from the Connecticut Association for Retarded Citizens, and many other awards. Regina is survived by her husband Richard, seven children, and ten grandchildren.
Regina was a talented woman who gave many years of her life and made a significant contribution to the pro-life cause. Both her contributions to the cause and her loyal friendship will be greatly missed. Declining health forced her to resign her position on the NRLC board in 2001 and her daughter Susan Smith became the NRLC director from Connecticut. NRLC extends our sympathy to Susan and the other members of the Smith family