Regina M. Latino

Regina M. Latino
Regina M. (Clarke) Latino, 79, of Vernon, beloved wife of 54 years to Frank J. Latino, passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by her family, on Monday, March 24, 2025. She was born on May 14, 1945, in Queens, NY, one of four children to the late John F. and Edna (Miller) Clarke.
Regina grew up in the Cambria Heights neighborhood of Queens, NY, and went to Andrew Jackson High School. As a teen, she loved to swim and roller skate at Walcliffe's Pool & Skating Rink in Elmont, NY. Following high school, Regina worked in Manhattan at Grolier Enterprises as a keypunch operator and supervisor. When she moved to Ellington, she worked first as a cued speech interpreter for a young hearing-impaired student, then she was the attendance secretary and finally the guidance department registrar secretary at Ellington High School. Regina often had groups of students that would visit her throughout the day to help her with tasks and chat with her. Regina loved to cook. She was of German and Irish heritage, but she loved to cook Italian and Asian dishes for her family and friends. She often fed her son's and daughter's friends throughout their high school years and sent "care packages" with her food to their college dormitories and apartments. Regina was especially known for her eggplant parmigiana, manicotti, red cabbage, stuffed pork chops, crème puff, and crumb cake recipes. Regina moved to Ithaca in the 1990s and worked as an assistant registrar at Cornell University. Shortly after, Regina and Frank moved to Manila, Philippines, for three years, where she volunteered at a school library. When Regina returned to the US, they resettled in Vernon, where she worked as a special education paraprofessional in the Vernon elementary schools. Regina loved working with children of all ages, and she especially loved helping children with special needs. She also loved to dance and listen to Motown soul music. Her family has fond memories of her dancing at various weddings and special events with her siblings, children, nieces, and nephews.
In addition to her husband, Regina is survived by her son, Frank J. Latino and his wife Tracy of Moon Township, PA; her daughter, Dayna Latino and her husband Dana Noonan of Ellington; her two grandchildren, Francesca and Vincent Latino, both of Moon Township, PA; her three siblings, Jack Clarke and his wife Joanne of Palm Coast, FL, Dianne Rucci and her husband Fran of Brentwood, NY, and Edward Clarke and his wife Carol of Lloyds Neck, NY; as well as a host of nieces, nephews and their families.
Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at the Ladd-Turkington & Carmon Funeral Home, 551 Talcottville Rd. (Rte. 83), in Vernon. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 2, beginning at 11 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Parish – St. Bernard Church, 25 St. Bernard Terrace, Rockville, with a time to gather at the funeral home prior to the Mass from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Entombment will follow in the Mount St. Benedict Cemetery Mausoleum, Bloomfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to ALS United CT ( www.alsunitedct.org - 4 Oxford Road, Suite E4 Milford, CT 06460). To leave an online message of condolence for her family, please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com .