Nancy Regan Obituary

Nancy Regan
June 26, 1938 - October 20, 2021
Raleigh, North Carolina - Nancy Regan died peacefully on October 20, 2021, at the age of eighty-three. She is survived by her children Bryan Regan (Raleigh, NC) and Karen Regan (Boulder, CO) and her four grandchildren: Hannah and Anna Drew Regan and Brooke and Miles Rucker. She is predeceased by her husband, Tom Regan.
Though she lived in Raleigh for more than fifty years, Nancy always identified with the place of her birth, Pittsburgh, PA, and was at heart a Pittsburgher. She graduated from Thiel College in Greenville, PA, in 1960 and taught middle schoolers before starting a family of her own. While attending Thiel, she met and later married the love of her life, Tom Regan.
Among her diverse interests, the arts and animal rights were primary. A lifelong learner, she took art history classes and volunteered at the NC Museum of Art and the Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh. She worked alongside her husband, Tom, to foster our awareness of the animal beings with whom we share this planet, through the mediums of music, dance, film, and poetry, while Tom provided the philosophical, academic basis for understanding animal rights. In 1985, Nancy and Tom co-founded the Culture and Animals Foundation (CAF), which aims to advance animal advocacy through intellectual and artistic expression. For more than twenty years Nancy helped spearhead CAF's annual International Compassionate Living Festival in Raleigh, a beloved event where animal advocates gather for lectures, performances, and conversation. Nancy continued to serve on the CAF Board until 2019. In recognition of her enduring contributions, CAF established the Nancy Regan Arts Prize in 2021.
Nancy was a devoted wife, a caring mother, and a faithful friend. Her quick wit, humor, playful spirit, and cooking will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Culture and Animals Foundation, www.cultureandanimals.org.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The News & Observer on Oct. 24, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for Nancy Regan

6 Entries

Pamela Young

November 6, 2021

To the Regan Family and CAF,
I am sorry for your loss at the passing of Nancy. My experiences were through the Compassionate Living Festivals she and Tom presented. I was always in awe of their knowledge, talents and compassion. I knew Nancy to be a welcoming, hardworking and loving person. The animals and their rights lost their best advocates and friends with the loss of Tom and now Nancy. We can try to follow their example. Good luck with carrying on their animal rights legacy continuing their work. "Yours in the struggle for the animals",
Pam

Brian Donlon

November 5, 2021

Hello Regan Family,

Her vegan activism will be sorely missed! It was a pleasure working with her at CAF events.

Regards,

Brian Donlon, TVS

Dilip Barman

November 4, 2021

I miss Nancy and her husband Tom but am consoled by the fact that their legacy is permanent in the Culture and Animals Foundation that they founded and in the many scholarly works and practical thoughts for animal activism that they leave behind. Nancy's artful nature was the impetus for the CAF formation. I will always remember her love for her family and big smile.

Peter Singer

October 27, 2021

I got to know Nancy Regan in the 1970s, when Tom and I were working on Animal Rights and Human Obligations, and Renata and I visited the Regans and stayed with them in Raleigh. I last saw her in Taiwan in 2014, when Tom and I were speaking at an international conference on animal rights. She was always a cheerful and supportive presence, and her occasional comments on the substance of the conversations Tom and I had showed her to have a lively and intelligent mind as well. She will be missed.

Ross B. Leidy

October 26, 2021

A very kind and gentle Woman! Ross B. Leidy

Jacqueline West

October 26, 2021

As one of the founders of a grassroots animal rights group in Portland, Oregon, back in the 1980s, I was blessed to meet Tom and Nancy Regan when they graciously accepted our invitation to come our way for media and advocacy activities. Tom was a wonder, and Nancy was his match in passion, sharp wit, kindness, and empathy. The legacy that Nancy leaves will live on in the truly unique organization that she championed and inspired. Everyone who cares about justice for animals owes this great woman a debt of gratitude. Thank you, Nancy.

Showing 1 - 6 of 6 results