South Portland legislator, champion of girls’s proper, dies
A South Portland legislator who was a champion of girls’s rights for many years has died.
Lawmakers realized of the passing of Rep. Lois Galgay Reckitt, a Democrat, final evening, stated Rep. Traci Gere, D-Kennebunkport.
“She is a hero and an instance to many people and might be sorely missed,” Gere introduced initially of a gathering of the Legislature’s housing committee.
Reckitt, 79, sponsored an modification to the Maine Structure to enshrine the rights of girls 4 occasions, together with earlier this yr.
She’s a member of the Maine Girls’s Corridor of Fame who spent 36 years main Household Disaster Companies in Cumberland County.
She served 15 years on the nationwide board of administrators of the Nationwide Group for Girls.
Reckitt co-founded the primary chapter of NOW in Maine, the Maine Coalition for Human Rights, Maine Proper to Select and the Maine Girls’s Foyer.
Final December, Gov. Janet Mills traveled to Reckitt’s house to swear her into workplace as a result of she was recovering from surgical procedure associated to her colon most cancers.
Home Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, paid tribute to Reckitt on Tuesday morning.
“I’m so saddened by Lois’ passing,” she stated in an announcement. “She might be remembered as a trailblazer, a feminist icon and for her relentless efforts on behalf of Maine ladies and households. I used to be blessed to know Lois for 5 a long time and I’ll always remember her braveness, resiliency, and her fierce dedication to justice. Her legacy of management and her tenacity will proceed to encourage us all.”
Gov. Janet Mills additionally paid tribute to Reckitt on Tuesday.
“Consultant Reckitt was a tireless defender of the rights of girls and ladies all through her life, wielding her sharp wit and her humorousness to convey individuals collectively and to make a distinction for her group. Because the long-time govt director of Household Disaster Companies in Cumberland County and, later, as a legislator for the individuals of South Portland, Lois by no means stopped making an attempt to make our state higher for everybody. In every week already marked by such deep loss, I’m devastated to lose her as effectively. I knew Lois for practically 5 a long time; she was a pricey buddy, and I’ll miss her deeply. I prolong my condolences to her associates, her household, and her group throughout this troublesome time,” the governor stated in an announcement.
