Local arts advocate Lois Smedick dies of West Nile virus

Lois Smedick was a scholar, former president and board member at the Art Gallery of Windsor and volunteer in countless community organizations.

On September 13, the woman many called a "champion" of Windsor's arts community,died of West Nile virus. She was 84.

"I think she was a good friend to people," said current Art Gallery of Windsor directorCatharineMastin."She was always supportive and full of enthusiasm for the community and the collection and the gallery and its role here."

• 3rd confirmed death related to West Nile virus inWindsor-Essex

On Friday, theWindsor-EssexCounty Heath Unit reported a third person in the region had died of West Nile virus.Mastinsaid thatSmedickhad beenof sound mind and spirit the past few weeksbefore she became sick.

She addedSmedickwas "one of the more importantpresidents"the art gallery has ever had in its nearly 75-year history.

Smedicksupported the gallery since it was locatedatWillisteadManor, according to Mastin.She was also the site construction supervisor when the gallery was movingto its current address on Riverside Drive West.

"That's, as you can imagine, huge to be overseeing a 75,000 square foot building going up," Mastin explained.

Before working at the gallery, Smedickwas part of the University of Windsor community.

"Everybody enjoyed working with Lois she was a wonderful person," saidUniversity of Windsor presidentAlan Wildeman. "She also realized that there were a lot of opportunities, a lot of leadership roles that traditionally woman had not occupied."

Smedick was thefirst female dean in the faculty of graduate studies and research and a founding member of the Friends of Women's Studies program.

"That was no small accomplishment as a woman," said Mastin."I alsothink very fondly of her as a feminist and a person who always championed women in public life."

Smedick gave much of her time to volunteering. She served as a member of the boards of Windsor Endowment for the Arts, Assumption University, Artcite,Erie Wildlife Rescue andJazzpurr Society for Animal Protection. She also was part of the planning committee at BookfestWindsor.

"Those are the kinds of sustained commitments that Ijust think really ought to be well remembered because it's a model for community leadership and engagement," said Mastin.

Wildemansaid that the university is planning to host an event to honourSmedickin the near future.