Obituary of Catheryne Yvonne Regas

Catheryne Yvonne Schere Regas

“Kit”

20 October 1925- 24 January 2019

            Kit was born in Omaha, Nebraska the only child of Frederick R.Schere and Effie Brinley Schere. They moved west to California during the days of the Great Depression. She loved tennis, dancing, singing and the movies graduating from Fremont High School in Los Angeles in 1943. She actually had ambitions of being a sports announcer which were never realized. She attended USC and UCLA majoring in sports where she played many sports including golf and archery. She left school with pneumonia and wound up working at MGM Studio in Culver City where Donna Reed set up a date with a cute male contract dancer by the name of Jack Regas, who predeceased her on April 25, 2018.

            They dated and eventually married in 1947, the beginning of a 71 year journey together. Three daughters were born and survive Jack and Kit: Claudia Catheryne Buck, Lori Lyn (Jim)Tucker and Kathi Ellen(John)Orme.  During these years she bowled and continued to sketch and do oil paintings. There were many moves for Kit who never complained when her husband wanted to knock out a wall here to add a room and when that home was not able to be remodeled any more, move to a new one.

            Kit was a devoted mother and wife but they were also a great team with her writing and Jack choreographing and directing countless productions including the opening of the Polynesian Cultural Center night time production in 1963, writing and organizing single handedly to the last detail several Dance Festivals at the Rose Bowl with 13,000 dancers (more participants than the Los Angeles Olympic Opening Ceremonies), award-winning youth‘Roadshows’ (where Kit was an exceptionally creative writer and lyricist) to name just a few of their productions.

            Throughout those 71 years they enjoyed their 13 grandchildren, attending sporting events and recitals, taking them on vacations to Hawaii, taking them on graduation trips, having sleep overs and hosting the most wonderful Christmas days. Then came the birth of 50 Greats where the loving interactions (including crocheting baby blankets for each one) continued to a third generation. All of the Grands and Greats have been blessed with Kit sharing her loving‘secrets’in their little ears and hearts.

            Kit leaves a legacy of service having Presided over the women’s organization in her church, and teaching adults and children in different capacities for over 50 years. But her most enduring legacy is that of a woman who was happily willing to give up her own self-interests and be a most remarkable example of complete fidelity and devotion to her husband and her posterity. No wonder Jack was prompted to say, “I love us!”