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“TRIBUTE TO REGINA FISHER ORIOL” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1829 on Oct. 11, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO REGINA FISHER ORIOL
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HON. TOM UDALL
of new mexico
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 10, 2002
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Regina Fisher Oriol, who died in May of this year. She was a loving and caring wife and mother and a tireless champion in the fight to eliminate drunk-driving.
Born into a military family, Regina's primary home was Kentucky, where her Army career father was stationed at Fort Knox. Upon graduating from high school, she became a welder, a rare profession for a woman, and rose to the top of her field. Sadly, she was exposed to poor working conditions and developed ``metal fume fever,'' which left her lungs permanently damaged. Deciding to end her career, which now included college welding instruction in western New Mexico, Regina become a full-time wife to husband, John, and a stay-at-home mom to son, Raymond, and daughter, Margaret.
In 1996, Regina's retired father, Franklin, was tragically killed by a drunk driver and, soon after, five others, from one family, were killed in the same manner in the Four Corners area of northwestern New Mexico. Determined to make a difference in the state's DWI fatality rate, Regina created the DWI ``Victims' Remembrance Wall,'' which displayed photographs and stories of victims of drunk drivers, and she was instrumental in the Wall becoming a traveling exhibit that raised public awareness. The display was placed on view several times in the state Capitol Rotunda in Santa Fe, drawing the attention of the governor, other state officials, and state legislators.
Regina's DWI eradication efforts continued. Because of assistance from her and many others, drive-up liquor windows were closed during my tenure as New Mexico's Attorney General. Regina also worked with state officials in implementing a state highway sign program to remind motorists not to drive while drinking. Over 130 signs now stand in various areas of New Mexico that both warn drivers of DWI and offer tribute to specific victims. The same program has been adopted in other states. Regina was subsequently named the first ``Traffic Safety Ambassador of New Mexico'' by the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
Regina's dedication was not limited to DWI-related events. She became a public servant volunteer with the local Child Support Division of state government, where she offered remedies to problems related to child support collection and distribution. Regina's efforts helped to increase funding for staff increases, procedure updates, and security enhancements.
Tragedy again struck Regina and her husband, John, in 1999 when both their son, Raymond, two days short of 17, and daughter Margaret, 11, were killed by an inattentive driver while passengers in a friend's car. Even though devastation and a broken heart were now constant companions, Regina continued to work faithfully on the causes in which she so passionately believed.
Regina Fisher Oriol was a generous, compassionate and remarkable individual, whose humanitarian efforts will never be forgotten. I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the life of this extraordinary woman.
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