Louis Robert Rell (November 19, 1940 – March 22, 2014) was an American aviator, commercial airline pilot, and veteran of the United States Navy.
[1] He met his future wife, Jodi Rell, while she was a student at nearby Old Dominion University.
[1] Jodi Rell entered politics as a campaign worker for Rep. David Smith, an Eastern Airlines pilot and member of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
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.
)[2] Publicly, Lou Rell largely avoided much of the spotlight traditionally associated with state First Ladies and Gentlemen.
[3] Rell struck up discussions of his diagnosis (and other issues) with Connecticut House Speaker James Amann (D), who suffered from the same disease.
[1] Lou Rell was reportedly disappointed with his inability to attend the convention, as he was a public supporter of Republican Sen. John McCain, who was also a U.S.
[4] He attended the unveiling of his wife's official gubernatorial portrait at the Connecticut State Library in September 2013.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, former Governor John G. Rowland and members of the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company.