Dwyer Funeral Home
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Regina (Reggie) F. Lankin, 78, of New Lebanon, passed away unexpectedly at home, on Thursday evening, November 21, 2024, surrounded by her loved ones. Born and raised in Pittsfield, MA on June 22, 1946, daughter of the late Alfred and Clementina (Tina) Prina Barscz, she graduated from St. Joseph's High School, and later from Berkshire Community College with her Associates Degree (where she later worked). She married her husband, Michael J. Lankin, and moved to South Deerfield, where she worked in the Admissions Office, while her husband worked towards his Electrical Engineering degree, at UMass Amherst. While in South Deerfield, they lived on Sugar Loaf Street, next to the Oxford Pickle Factory, and enjoyed learning to (and mastering) polka dance down the long hallway of their 2nd floor apartment. After her husband's graduation from UMass in 1969, Reggie and Michael settled in New Lebanon, NY, and rebuilt an old Montgomery Ward Kit House. Reggie, a meticulous cross-stitcher, ran her own counted cross stitch shop, Every Stitch Counts, out of their home for several years. In their early years, Reggie attended business trips with her husband to San Francisco and San Jose, and in 1972, Reggie and Michael traveled to Europe, visiting Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, and France, relishing their time spent in Germany the most. She was later employed as a secretary with H.L. Fuel until her retirement, and she was heavily involved in the PTA throughout her daughter's school years. After retiring, she took pleasure in part-time work at Furnace Brook Winery, in Richmond, MA, where she organized wine tastings, visited with the public, and cultivated lifelong friendships in the process.
After her husband's retirement, Reggie and Michael were steadfast regulars at all of their daughter's high school sporting events, and traveled throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States for their daughter's college sports, battling rain, snow, and intense heat, at all times of the year. Throughout these years, Reggie and Michael delighted in winery tours from Connecticut and Rhode Island, to the Finger Lakes of NY, while also treasuring any vacation in Maine, especially time spent in Camden and Ogunquit. She hoped to never go to Disney World, ever again. Day to day, Reggie enjoyed going out to lunch with her husband, eating at some of the diners they saw on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and was always in the mood for lobster and prime rib. She always had a book (or her Kindle) in her hands, reading being a pastime shared with her daughter, with mother and daughter passing books back and forth when novels were particularly fabulous. In recent years, Reggie adored watching her granddaughter play softball, soccer, create art, and play music on her guitar and saxophone, while simultaneously planning delicious dinners, sometimes a week in advance, for her family based around their busy schedule.
Reggie was always dressed elegantly, emphasizing the importance of having a classic sense of style, and got a kick out of a well-timed inappropriate joke. She enjoyed hosting parties that evolved from fancy Twelfth Night Parties filled with hors d'oeuvres, candlelight, and cocktails by the lit fireplace, to more subdued get-togethers, that still brought people together without losing any sense of refinement and purpose. Reggie had a knack for, and took great pleasure in, buying gifts for others - finding unique items, knowing what the recipient would cherish and appreciate. She loved the holidays, especially Christmas, and always made the holidays special by baking her amazing cookies, setting her impeccably wrapped presents under the tree, and directing her untalented design team (her husband and daughter) as to the correct ornament placement on the tree.
Regina is survived by her devoted (and contentious) husband of 57 years, Michael J. Lankin, whom she married on July 22nd, 1967. She leaves behind their daughter, Kate F. Lankin, as well as her granddaughter, Addison L. Frederick, and her granddog, Leah.
At her request, there will be no formal funeral services for Regina. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to Berkshire Humane Society - she donated to the humane society on a regular basis, and in recent years, was intrigued by the possibility of winning our family a few Subarus.
Please visit www.dwyerfuneral.com to leave condolences and remembrances.
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