Regina McLaughlin

Regina “Jean” P. McLaughlin (nee Cronin), Age 93 of New Holland, Pa formerly of Broomall, Pa

Regina went to heaven November 4, 2021 surrounded by her loving children.  She was the devoted wife of the late William M. McLaughlin and is survived by their 5 children: Dr. William McLaughlin, Jr. (Donna), Robert McLaughlin (Patty), Jeanmarie Chase (Chris), Patricia Mudgett (John) and Dr. Thomas McLaughlin. Regina was the grandmother to 16 loving Grandchildren: Megan McLaughlin, Dr. Shaun McLaughlin, Dr. William McLaughlin, Dr. Julie Hoggard, Kristen Amouri, Evan McLaughlin, Matthew Chase, Jackie Bates, the late Kelly Chase, Cory Chase, Jessie Patullo, Ryan Mudgett, Tyler Mudgett, Michael McLaughlin, Thomas McLaughlin and Ian Malia.

She was also blessed with 12 great-grandchildren: Sawyer and Liam McLaughlin, Damian and Danika Hoggard, River and Juniper Amouri, Ryder and Keegan Chase, Magnolia and Bodhi Patullo, and Finnley and Milo Mudgett.

Jean was blessed with boundless energy paired with a wonderful spirit of adventure. As a young girl growing up in Philadelphia, she would climb onto the rooftops of her neighbors’ row homes, jumping between roofs and waving to the riders of the “El” (elevated train) that ran through her neighborhood. She took trips to explore the forbidden railroad tracks until one day her father saw her frolicking on the tracks from his perch as the railroad conductor.

At Little Flower High School in Philadephia, Jean made many friends and was a forward on the basketball team and enjoyed singing in the choir.  After high school she worked for a company that made artificial eyes and contact lenses. Easy to see, no pun intended, why two of her children and her grandchild choose eye care careers.  Regina also helped with the World War II war effort by inspecting gas masks being supplied to our soldiers overseas.

Jean met the love of her life, Bill McLaughlin, at a church dance. He was older, had a good job, owned a car, and was quite handsome. While those were great attributes, Jean always said what she liked most about Bill was how nicely he treated his mother.

Jean was a wonderful mother, an entertaining and loving grandmother, and a shining example of love and affection to a growing number of great-grandchildren. Jean's home was always full of love, people, pets, positive energy and food. The neighborhood kids were always in her house and yard even long after her children were grown. Dogs, ducks, rabbits, turtles and birds all made their happy home at Jean’s Broomall residence.  She had a special place in her heart for her pet dogs and Cha-Cha, a smart and feisty macaw who loved her and followed her everywhere. Cha-Cha even followed her to her final home in Garden Spot Village, a retirement community in New Holland, Pa.  Cha-Cha would frequently be seen, shovel in beak, helping Jean in the garden plot that she tended to at Garden Spot.

Plants and flowers were everywhere in her home; Jean was a certified “green thumb”. She loved all flowers, but her favorite was the “Chrysler Imperial” variety of red rose - treasured for its aromatics and deep red color.  She planted scores of these bushes around the house - every one started from a single stem cutting that Bill's mother gave her. Jean insisted her children bring roses to their teachers at St. Pius X school. As a teacher herself for many years, she knew the true joy of receiving a gift from a child. Jean was also a talented seamstress and spent countless hours making her children’s clothing.

After her adult children moved away, Jean worked by day as an office manager for the University of Pennsylvania. She converted a spare room into her workshop where, as an early adopter of personal computers and digital photography, she built, configured and integrated PC components and manipulated her library of family digital photos late into the evenings while opera music played in the background.

Jean hosted weekend and holiday events for all the kids and grandkids at her house. No matter the number of visitors, she somehow seemed to fit them around her dining room table. She cooked massive amounts of every conceivable food and insisted on guests taking home the leftovers. Everything she made was great, but her homemade pies were awesome. She always made several varieties at one time because she wanted to make sure everyone had their favorite.

Jean certainly had boundless energy. She never slowed down; 93 years of a life filled with love, imagination and inspiration in the fast lane. We are so very blessed that God gave us so much time with our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She gave us all a wonderful example of how to live a life dedicated to others. Jean will be missed, but more importantly, she will be remembered by all those whose lives she touched.

Services will be private on Thursday November 11, 2021 at St. Pius X Church, Broomall, PA.