Regina was born to Frank and Helen Podas in Los Angeles, CA on Nov. 4, 1936. She passed away peacefully on Friday, May 22, 2020 at home in Torrance, CA with close family by her side.

Regina grew up in Inglewood, CA where she was a student at Daniel Freeman
elementary school. She graduated Gold Tie from St Mary's Academy of Los Angeles in 1954. She attended El Camino College in Torrance, CA and later earned a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from U.C. Santa Barbara in 1958. After graduation,Regina was an elementary school teacher at Silver Spur and Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes, CA.

She met Dick (Richard) while on a double date, and eventually started dating him in early 1960. They were married within the year on November 19, 1960. Dick and Regina settled in Torrance, CA. Together they raised 5 children, one daughter and 4 sons.

In 1974 Regina returned to elementary education with Torrance Unified School District. First at Howard Wood Elementary as a teacher's aide and later as a very sought after and popular substitute until her retirement in 2010.

Along with teaching, Regina had a passion for reading. She was particularly drawn to historical fiction or as she called them "Goofy Gothics". Over the years, we're sure she read everything of that genre that local libraries ever had on their shelves. This
extremely useful historical information from her extensive library "research" combined with her and Dick's shared passion for world travel, made for some fascinating and mostly true but always funny stories that she would regale us with upon their return home.

When not working or traveling or raising five children, Regina was also a member of several South Bay church choirs, most notably with St. Margaret Mary's in Lomita, Ca. She was also a volunteer and champion of Habitat for Humanity. She and Dick were avid fans of Broadway shows, horse racing and concerts at the Hollywood Bowl but especially USC football. All of these activities were usually with the company of family and many, many life long friends.

Of the many interests that Regina had, it must be noted that she never embraced the new technologies of computers or smart phones. Instead she chose to write you a note. If you were one of the lucky people to receive a note or card or letter from her, it usually took two or three attempts to decipher it entirely. Just like her appearance and personality, she was blessed with beautiful but sometimes almost unreadable cursive handwriting. But nothing was like being in her presence, her laughter was infectious and her voice was all consuming. In true Regina fashion, she never gave up with the bedazzled accessories, the long fingernails with her custom orange/red color and the trademark red hair.

In January 2020, Regina began what became a long series of hospital stays at Torrance Memorial and Cedar Sinai Hospital. On May 20, Regina made sure she was dressed just so before being released from Torrance Memorial for the short trip to the family home. She passed there peacefully on Friday morning May 22, 2020.

Regina is survived by her loving husband of 59 years Dick, daughter Ann (Todd), sons Jon, Peter (Lauren), Richard (Michelle) and Andrew (Marta) as well as nine grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Robert Podas (Marsha) of Orange, CA as well as many nieces and nephews.

She truly was a force of nature and beloved by so many.