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318:. Smith declined to seek re-election to a fifth term in the state House in 1984 and encouraged Jodi Rell to run to succeed him. Rell was elected in 1984. Lou Rell privately and publicly supported his wife's political career. He took leaves of absence from the airline during busy legislative sessions.
352:, amid a federal corruption probe. The move made Lou Rell the First Gentleman or First Spouse of Connecticut, depending on the term used. Rell became one of just five First Gentlemen in the United States at the time. (Fellow First Gentlemen included
375:
He often declined interviews, though he usually appeared at official events with the
Governor. However, Rell played a key role behind-the-scenes as a political adviser to his wife's administration. Christopher Keating, a political reporter with the
397:. He underwent surgery to remove a stage 1 cancerous growth from his esophagus in November 2007. The surgery largely sidelined Rell from active politics while he recovered at his home in Brookfield. However, he returned to his public role at the
427:
Governor Rell left office in
January 2011. The Rells returned to their Brookfield farmhouse, which they soon sold to their daughter, Meredith O'Connor. They then moved to a neighboring condo. Lou Rell volunteered with the
451:
on March 22, 2014, at the age of 73. His funeral was held at the
Brookfield Congregational Church in Brookfield, Connecticut, on March 29, 2014. Dignitaries in attendance included Governor
408:(D), who suffered from the same disease. In 2008, Lou Rell fell suffered a health setback from an undisclosed illness, which caused Governor Rell to cancel plans to attend the
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who understood the nuances of the political game in the state of
Connecticut." Jodi Rell was elected to a full term in landslide in 2006.
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asked Rell if he preferred to be called "the First Man, the First
Husband, the First Gentleman" he replied, "Please, just call me Lou."
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416:. Lou Rell was reportedly disappointed with his inability to attend the convention, as he was a public supporter of
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in
Hartford following his recovery. Rell struck up discussions of his diagnosis (and other issues) with
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of aircraft in the museum's collection. He attended the unveiling of his wife's official gubernatorial
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364:.) Publicly, Lou Rell largely avoided much of the spotlight traditionally associated with state
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business, which shuttled patients to medical appointments. He also served as a
Brookfield
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Jodi Rell entered politics as a campaign worker for Rep. David Smith, an
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275:. He met his future wife, Jodi Rell, while she was a student at nearby
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626:"CT Mourns Passing of Lou Rell, Husband of Former Governor Jodi Rell"
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and former president of the
Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company.
755:"Jim Amann: Lou Rell Must Be One Of Happiest In The State"
291:(TWA). They then moved north to a 19th-century, clapboard
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and members of the
Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company.
191:(November 19, 1940 – March 22, 2014) was an American
393:, a reflux disease which causes inflammation of the
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542:"Lou Rell, 73, was 'first spouse' of Connecticut"
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348:following the resignation of her predecessor,
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303:. Brookfield is popular with airline pilots
279:. The couple, who married in 1967, moved to
283:, where he took a position as a commercial
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728:"Lou Rell bid goodbye in life celebration"
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869:First ladies and gentlemen of Connecticut
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447:Lou Rell died from cancer at his home in
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693:"Husband of Former Gov. Jodi Rell Dies"
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50:July 1, 2004 – January 5, 2011
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382:, has called Rell "a sharp student of
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894:20th-century American businesspeople
316:Connecticut House of Representatives
879:People from Brookfield, Connecticut
753:Keating, Christopher (2009-11-10).
624:Keating, Christopher (2014-03-23).
424:, who was also a U.S. Naval pilot.
410:2008 Republican National Convention
839:20th-century American firefighters
14:
844:American municipal police chiefs
475:
399:Connecticut Governor's Residence
854:Businesspeople from Connecticut
206:. The late husband of the 87th
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580:Scarponi, Diane (2004-06-28).
540:Pazniokas, Mark (2014-03-23).
1:
864:Deaths from cancer in Florida
582:""First" spouse roles change"
325:. He soon launched a medical
889:United States Naval Aviators
859:American commercial aviators
884:Trans World Airlines people
874:Historical preservationists
801:First Spouse of Connecticut
910:
668:Bucks County Courier Times
366:First Ladies and Gentlemen
241:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
70:Patty Rowland (First Lady)
849:Aviators from Connecticut
807:
798:
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726:Tuz, Susan (2014-03-29).
442:Connecticut State Library
403:Connecticut House Speaker
271:aircraft from U.S. Naval
259:as a pilot, stationed at
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43:
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314:pilot and member of the
135:Pensacola Beach, Florida
346:Governor of Connecticut
344:Jodi Rell was sworn in
297:Brookfield, Connecticut
277:Old Dominion University
269:electronic surveillance
208:Governor of Connecticut
430:New England Air Museum
340:On July 1, 2004, then-
305:based in New York City
243:, to Louis and Helen (
414:Saint Paul, Minnesota
261:Naval Station Norfolk
202:, and veteran of the
360:and Bill Shaheen of
289:Trans World Airlines
663:"Louis Robert Rell"
444:in September 2013.
389:Rell suffered from
331:police commissioner
323:commercial aviation
255:Rell served in the
222:from 2004 to 2011.
214:, he served as the
805:2004 – 2011
547:Connecticut Mirror
466:, former Governor
464:Richard Blumenthal
432:, focusing on the
321:Rell retired from
257:United States Navy
204:United States Navy
197:commercial airline
817:
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808:Succeeded by
391:Barrett's Disease
273:aircraft carriers
265:Norfolk, Virginia
189:Louis Robert Rell
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111:November 19, 1940
101:Louis Robert Rell
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791:Preceded by
786:Honorary titles
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764:. Archived from
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379:Hartford Courant
312:Eastern Airlines
301:Fairfield County
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92:Personal details
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16:American aviator
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483:Aviation portal
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468:John G. Rowland
350:John G. Rowland
333:, as well as a
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216:First Gentleman
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159: 1967)
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34:First Gentleman
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768:on 2014-05-27
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247:White) Rell.
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237:Louis R. Rell
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811:Cathy Malloy
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770:. Retrieved
766:the original
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737:. Retrieved
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703:. Retrieved
701:. 2014-03-23
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673:. Retrieved
671:. 2014-03-25
666:
641:. Retrieved
637:the original
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593:. Retrieved
551:. Retrieved
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461:U.S. Senator
446:
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388:
377:
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342:Lt. Governor
339:
320:
309:
267:. Rell flew
254:
236:
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188:
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130:(2014-03-22)
118:Pennsylvania
114:Philadelphia
83:(First Lady)
81:Cathy Malloy
76:Succeeded by
45:
834:2014 deaths
829:1940 births
457:Nancy Wyman
455:, Lt. Gov.
434:restoration
422:John McCain
406:James Amann
335:firefighter
239:in 1940 in
220:Connecticut
148:Jodi Reavis
66:Preceded by
38:Connecticut
823:Categories
772:2014-05-26
739:2014-05-26
705:2014-05-26
675:2014-05-26
643:2014-05-26
595:2004-05-26
553:2014-05-26
490:References
418:Republican
370:journalist
281:New Jersey
231:Early life
175:Occupation
107:1940-11-19
395:esophagus
368:. When a
293:farmhouse
226:Biography
212:Jodi Rell
59:Jodi Rell
438:portrait
384:politics
167:Children
55:Governor
23:Lou Rell
449:Florida
440:at the
193:aviator
161:
153:
46:In role
358:Kansas
251:Career
142:Spouse
137:, U.S.
120:, U.S.
420:Sen.
299:, in
200:pilot
178:Pilot
155:(
151:
327:taxi
287:for
125:Died
97:Born
412:in
356:of
295:in
263:in
245:née
218:of
36:of
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714:^
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157:m.
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170:2
109:)
105:(
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