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Lois Smedick, 1933 – 2017

The local arts and culture scene is in shock and mourning the loss of one of its biggest champions after news that Lois Smedick was the latest victim of West Nile virus.

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“She was a stellar leader — she changed so many lives because of her involvement in the arts community,” said Carolyne Rourke, president of the Windsor Endowment for the Arts, on which Smedick was still a board member.

The local health unit reported Friday that the three lives lost in Ontario this year to the mosquito-borne virus were all Windsor area residents. Until just a few weeks ago, Smedick, 84, was described as mentally sharp and “vibrant” and still deeply involved in a number of community causes.

“Lois was an amazing woman, absolutely amazing — she was a part of so many aspects of our arts community,” said Rourke, who knew Smedick since she arrived here in the 1960s to teach English at the University of Windsor.