Collin County Republican Party Remembers Denise Short Smith
Posted by Taylor Team - Tue, March 23, 2010 at 06:29 AM
Collin County GOP Chairman Fred Moses said, “We are shocked and saddened at the sudden passing of Denise. She was a very special person who had a heart of service to her many friends and the causes in which she believed. Her death is a great loss to the party that she loved, and we will miss her dearly.”
Denise was the Legislative Chair for the Plano Republican Women, and was a gifted and talented writer. In fact, late in life she had returned to school to pursue her passion for writing, earning a Degree in Public Relations/Journalism from the University of North Texas. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a 3.95 GPA. Other academic honors and awards earned by Denise throughout her life included: Mayborn Writers Award; Outstanding Public Relations/Journalism Student Award; Member of Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society of Mass Communication and Journalism; Recipient of Journalism Department’s Kenneth May Memorial Scholarship for academic excellence and community and university service; Member Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society; English Department Faculty’s Outstanding Student Award (two-time honoree); Colorado State Merit Scholarship and President’s Merit Scholarship; and Dean’s List and President’s List.
Catherine Gibb, President of the Plano Republican Women (PRW), said “Denise was one of my dear friends and a true Southern lady. She loved this country and was a true patriot. She had a heart as big as Texas and always had time for her friends. We trusted one another and I always knew she ‘had my back.’ I will miss her, but she will live on in our hearts and memories.”
Denise Laman was active in PRW for many years with Denise Short and considered her a very close friend. Ms. Laman was also one of the last people to talk to her. “Denise worked to find common ground and had a talent for bringing people together. She loved the military and had a huge network of military servicemen and women whom she supported and encouraged. I’ve lost a dear friend, and our party has lost one of the hardest-working grass roots activists I’ve ever known.”
Linda Schenck, V.P. of Membership for PRW and Vice Chairman of Collin County GOP, said “Denise has worked on every campaign since the 1980’s. I will miss Denise because she was always there when needed, worked for the most conservative candidates, and never held a grudge against anyone. Anytime I went to an event, I always looked for her, and that’s why it’s hard to imagine that I won’t see her again.”
Diana Dail, President of the Collin County Conservative Republicans, said “Denise was a friend and one of the most passionate women I knew. She loved her country, the military, and the Republican Party. She will be truly missed.”
Throughout years of service to the Collin County Republican Party, Denise volunteered for countless candidates and officeholders. Most recently, Denise had been on the staff of the Van Taylor Campaign for State Representative. Denise Laman noted, “She loved working for people she believed in, and it is so fitting that one of the last things she was doing on Thursday was walking door to door on behalf of her candidate.”
Denise was also involved in causes outside of the political realm, as an Ambassador for the Plano Symphony Orchestra, volunteering at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, and providing educational presentations to the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. A staunch supporter of the military, she served as USAF colonel’s liaison and facilitated support groups in a Red Cross/U.S. Air Force joint health initiative.
Funeral services are pending, but we will provide that information when it becomes available. In the meantime, we honor and remember fondly the life of Denise Short Smith, our friend and fellow warrior in the Republican Party.
