Lou Rell

Louis Robert Rell (November 19, 1940 – March 22, 2014) was an American aviator, commercial airline pilot, and veteran of the United States Navy. The husband of the 87th Governor of Connecticut, Jodi Rell, he served as the First Gentleman of Connecticut from 2004 to 2011.

Biography

Early life Rell was born in 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Louis and Helen (née White) Rell.

Career Rell served in the United States Navy as a pilot, stationed at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. In 2008, Lou Rell fell suffered a health setback from an undisclosed illness, which caused Governor Rell to cancel plans to attend the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His funeral was held at the Brookfield Congregational Church in Brookfield, Connecticut, on March 29, 2014. Dignitaries in attendance included Governor Dannel Malloy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, former Governor John G. Rowland and members of the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company.