Regis Groff not only brought great class and dignity to the Colorado General Assembly but he was able to lift us from what often seemed like the day-to-day grind of our work and enable us to see that being an elected official was both a special opportunity and a unique responsibility. I served in the House and he was in the Senate and I remember often going over to the Senate Chambers when he was to speak on an issue because I knew that whatever he said would be uplifting.

One of his strong friendships was with state Representative Bob Shoemaker, the rancher from Cañon City about whom I wrote several weeks ago. What brought them together, despite their very different backgrounds, was not just their common interest in prison issues but their unique personalities and their ability to get along with anyone. Regis used to go stay on Bob’s ranch but he said that he had a hard time sleeping there. Too quiet. No sirens or gunshots.

Regis and Bob were on the ill-fated East Coast prison trip where the Office of State Planning and Budgeting took a group of us legislators to Pennsylvania when we were actually supposed to visit a prison in Virginia. When the other legislators realized this blunder, several of them exploded in anger and demanded that they immediately be flown back to Colorado. It was the combined personalities of Regis and Bob that held at least part of our delegation together and persuaded two of the Republicans to stick with us.

Later when I was the Director of the Colorado International Trade Office, it was Regis who came up with ideas for developing trade with Africa. He could see that dramatic changes were coming to South Africa via the transition from FW de Klerk to Nelson Mandela and wanted Colorado to be a leader in taking advantage of this transition. We used to huddle over breakfasts at Racine’s, trying to figure out how to make it happen. Although it never worked out, I loved being with him because he was someone who made you see a little farther and reach a little higher. We were all better people for having known him.

Sen. Regis Groff and state Rep. Bob Shoemaker, R-Canõn City, were good friends when they served together.

Photos by Morgan Smith

— Morgan-smith@comcast.net