Obituary of Regina A. Devlin

Regina “Reggie” Devlin (née Henry) of Plymouth Meeting, PA, passed away peacefully on November 29, 2024, at the age of 82. Reggie was a legend in her own right. She was strong, fiercely independent, intelligent, quick-witted, kind, and beautiful. Her life was a rich tapestry of friends, experiences, challenges, and triumphs. 

Born on January 8, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, Reggie was the daughter of the late Catherine “Dolly” (née Burgess) and John Henry who cherished their little girl and gave her a strong foundation in faith, honesty, and integrity. Before departing the Windy City, Reggie attended and graduated from Loretto Academy High School and Loyola University Chicago (Mundelein College) where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and an impressive command of the English language. Reggie also attended Ohio University as a graduate student. 

With only a suitcase and $12 to her name, Reggie boarded a bus bound for New York City. She found work at Montefiore Hospital and the 1964-1965 World’s Fair before migrating south to Camden, NJ, and eventually landing in Plymouth Meeting, PA, which is where her 2 daughters, Sheila and Deirdre (whom she affectionately called Sisters Sledge) were born and raised with unconditional love. Her desire and determination to provide all that was needed led to her co-founding a catering business called Fancy Fare. As an aside, a customer favorite was the Blue Cheese Ball. During the holidays she made so many, it seemed like they fell from a tree in the backyard. After a decade or so of sculpting Blue Cheese Balls, creating lattice for Beef Wellingtons, and perfectly caramelizing Crème Brûlées, she hung up her apron and took Corporate America by storm. 

Reggie worked for several companies including Dupont, Basic Four, and GMIS designing training courses for their respective software programs including developing the training materials and delivering the training for business professionals across the US and internationally. Imagine how difficult it was for a student, who didn’t speak English as their first language, to understand the material through that thick Chicagoan accent? Kidding aside, she prepared for weeks, knew the material, and delivered it expertly with style and poise. She was very proud of the glowing reviews she received from the students who took her classes. Her final chapter in Corporate America was with McKesson as a technical writer authoring manuals for their software programs. Reggie was the ultimate professional; she held herself to high standards and was well respected. 

Including her accomplishments, Reggie’s life can be described using four "F" words: Family, Friends, Fitness, and Funny. 

Family: Reggie is survived by her daughters (and sons-in-law), Sheila (Steven) George and Deirdre (Anthony) Kelly. The crowning glory for Reggie was the arrival of her grandchildren: Madelyn, Kirstin, and Alec George and Colin Kelly. She was over-the-top happy and proud to be their grandmother and to signify this role, she took on the moniker of "Maresey" and delivered delicious “Maresey cake” for every birthday. She was ever present at sporting events, performances, and milestone events for all her grandchildren. Maresey delighted in her grandchildren as much, if not more than she delighted in raising the Sisters Sledge. She also loved her nieces and nephews. 

Friends: Reggie cherished her friendships, developing them at each stage of her life. At the time of her passing, Reggie still had friendships that formed during high school, college, and graduate school in Illinois and Ohio, through Flourtown Swim Club, at Dupont and her other places of employment, and from the neighborhood where she lived in Plymouth Meeting. Her friends were like family to her – there were phone call chats to joint family outings, to cooking Michelin chef-like meals and entertaining almost every Saturday night for close to 35 years (dubbed “Saturday Night Live”), to helping in times of sadness and difficulty and celebrating the good memories of a lifetime of friendships. Reggie was a pillar of strength, a loyal friend, a good listener, and at times a partner in crime. 

Fitness: Although Reggie wasn’t athletic, she believed in “moving it or losing it”. At Flourtown Swim Club she could play tennis for hours. She loved to walk along the “Wissy” and during lunch hour with friends – boy, did she move at a rapid clip. In retirement, she took up golf, always walking the course. She also raised her heart rate by watching college football – anyone within earshot of her during the games could almost smell the calories burning. Despite always being around a swimming pool with her children, she never went near the water – she couldn’t swim. However, she was a fabulous swim meet announcer! Many generations of families in the local area will never forget hearing: “Baaaaaackstrokers in the water”. Aside from physical fitness, Reggie exercised her mind by being an avid reader, crossword puzzle solver, and long-time bridge player. 

Funny: Reggie had a great sense of humor. She was a mastermind at delivering smart, imaginative, and quick-witted material made funnier when punctuated by her Chicago accent. Many times her words and stories were unintentionally hysterical, making people roar with laughter. She could turn the most mundane conversation into a belly laugh with one of her many “Reg-isms”, a natural talent. Many tried to imitate her, but she was one-of-a-kind. 

Cheers to Reg!  

A visitation and funeral mass will be held on Friday, December 13, 2024, at Saint Philip Neri Church 437 Ridge Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA. Visitation hours will begin at 9:30 am with a mass following at 10:30 am. The interment will be private.