Barbara Smoker

Main roles and affiliations

Smoker held several notable positions in British and international organisations. She served as President of the National Secular Society from 1972 until 1996, a period in which the society continued to press for separation between religion and state. She also chaired the British Voluntary Euthanasia Society (now Dignity in Dying) between 1981 and 1985, and later acted as an honorary vice-president of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association. These roles reflected a consistent commitment to campaigning for personal autonomy and civil liberties.

• National Secular Society: long-term president supporting secular policy and public debate. National Secular Society
• British Voluntary Euthanasia Society: chair during early 1980s advocating reform of end-of-life law. British Voluntary Euthanasia Society
• Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association: honorary vice-president and public supporter of LGBT humanist perspectives. Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association

Campaigns and public work

Throughout her public life Smoker promoted reasoned public discussion on ethical and social questions. She championed secular education, opposed religious privilege in public institutions, and supported legal options for assisted dying on grounds of compassion and autonomy. Her activism extended to solidarity with humanist groups internationally and to supporting organisations that sought to expand individual rights.

Background and legacy

Born in London, Smoker became a familiar figure within British humanist circles. She combined organisational leadership with public advocacy, helping to keep secular and humanist perspectives visible in debates about law and policy. Her long tenure in leadership posts and her willingness to take on sensitive issues made her a significant figure in late 20th-century British secularism.

Barbara Smoker died at a hospital in London on 7 April 2020 after a long illness, aged 96. Her life and work are frequently cited by those who study modern secular movements as an example of sustained voluntary service and principled campaigning. For more on the organisations with which she worked see general information from the humanist movement and national groups. Humanist movement | London

Her contributions continue to be referenced in discussions about the public role of secular advocacy, the history of assisted-dying campaigns in Britain, and the intersection of humanism with LGBT equality activism. Further reading can be found through dedicated organisational histories and collected accounts of secular campaigning. British Voluntary Euthanasia Society | National Secular Society