Lt. Col. James A. Rego Jr. Ret.

Lt. Col. James A. Rego, Jr. USAF Ret., of Mashpee, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 19, 2022, surrounded by family. He was the beloved husband of the Susan E. (Pyne) Rego with whom he shared almost 30 years of life, laughter, and love.
Jim was born September 10, 1946, to the late Anna (Kapitan) and James A. Rego, Sr. in Pineville, KY. He followed his father's footsteps into the Air Force as an enlisted man in electronic missile guidance, doing a tour of duty in Vietnam. After his initial service commitment, he went back to college graduating from Arizona State University in 1977. He didn't stay away from the service for long and went back to Officer Candidate School, soon becoming a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force. Jim continued his military service rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel. After his military retirement, he earned an MBA at the National University of San Diego, taught at the Defense Acquisitions University, and ultimately enjoyed a successful consulting career.
While living on the West Coast, Jim and Suzy loved to sail and became avid golfers. After retirement, they moved back to the East Coast to be closer to family and quickly settled in Mashpee. Jim enjoyed the friendships he found in the Southport community, loved spending time with his family and was thrilled to watch his grandchildren grow up.
Jim is survived by his beloved wife, Susan E. Rego, of Mashpee, MA; his children, Jacqueline Dahlquist, and her husband, David Levine, of Wellesley, MA, Christopher Ridge, and his wife Suzanne Martin Ridge, of Milton, MA, and Todd Dahlquist, and his wife Kendra Wensing, of North Ridgeville, OH; his grandchildren, Jack Ridge, Jocelyn Ridge, Charlotte Levine and Madison Dahlquist; his brother, Ted Rego, and his wife Alice Rego, of Albuquerque, NM and his sister, Linda Rego, of Lexington, KY.
A visitation will be held on Monday, March 28, 2022, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm at Chapman Funerals, 74 Algonquin Ave. (RTE 151), in Mashpee. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at 11:00 am at Christ the King Parish, 5 Jobs Fishing Rd., in Mashpee. A burial will immediately follow at 12:45 pm at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, in Bourne.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim's memory may be made to Mass General Brigham Hospital, c/o Mass General Development Office, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114-1101 or online at www.massgeneralbrigham.org/giving or to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at www.stjude.org/donate.