Published: July 08, 2009 01:02 am      

GASPORT: Niagarans mourn passing of Lucille Britt

GASPORT — Lucille L. Britt, a woman of many “firsts” in local political and community circles, died Tuesday.

Britt, 71, was well known around Niagara County for the years she served the Republican Party — and voters of all stripes.

In 1987, she became the first, and still is the only, woman GOP commissioner of the Niagara County Board of Elections. She served in the post through 1999.

That appointment topped a list of groundbreaking achievements by a woman in local politics. Britt also was the first chairwoman of the Niagara County GOP committee, on an interim basis, in 1985-86; as well as the first woman chair of the Hartland GOP and Republican Towns committees.

In the mid-1970s, the mother of two girls and two boys organized the first Gasport girls’ softball league. She said at the time she was inspired by the belief girls should have the same opportunities as boys.

According to Britt’s daughter, Pamela Moriarty, she got involved in politics out of desire to see all people treated equally and well.

Britt was a teacher’s aide at Gasport Elementary School in the mid-1970s and early ’80s when her son, Christopher, was a student and was classified as “learning disabled.” She was determined to see her son treated like any other student, and see him graduate with his class and a standard diploma; she butted heads with the education bureaucracy to make it happen — and she prevailed.

“My mother treated everybody well, treated everybody like they’re special,” Moriarty said. “She was very concerned about people with handicaps of all kinds — physical, emotional, financial. ... She was an advocate for anybody who was having a hard time. That’s why she got involved in politics.”

Britt’s stint as an election commissioner cemented her reputation as a hard-working, fair-minded person with high standards, according to those who knew her. She worked for the Republican party but served every voter, official and candidate with equal commitment, said Jerald Wolfgang, a former county GOP chairman. In her regime, outreach to local schools about the elections process was the norm; and after her departure from the board, Britt remained in the game on election nights, providing expert commentary about polling results on WLVL-AM.

“Lucille was a spectacular, energetic individual who was always concerned about her family and the people of Niagara County. She was very gracious,” Wolfgang said. “She was a woman of her word, too. You always knew what side she was on, because she always told the truth.”

Definitely, concurred veteran county Legislator Dennis Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls.

“Lucille was an excellent election commissioner. She was always fair with both sides, very knowledgeable, honest and respectable.”

Britt’s friend, Margie Swan, said, “Niagara County has lost one of their best citizens. ... She was everybody’s person. A super person, a super friend, always there to help people, whether she knew them or not. ‘Well loved’ is how I’d describe her.”