Joseph T. Regan
LOWELL Joseph T. Regan, 95, a lifelong Lowell resident, died June 10, 2008 at Saints Medical Center after a brief illness. He was the widower of the late Rita E. (Keenan) Regan who died Oct. 19, 2005.
A son of the late Peter J. and the late Elizabeth (Boyle) Regan, he was born Sept. 11, 1912 in Lowell and was educated in the local schools graduating from Lowell High School where he was very athletic in several High School sports.
He made his lifelong home in Lowell, and was a communicant of Immaculate Conception Church. He was an outstanding athlete in all sports, baseball, football, hockey, and tennis. He was the captain of the Lowell High School baseball team, he also played minor league baseball, and was on a Boston Bruins farm team. In 1923 he was the Lowell Junior Tennis Champion. In his later years he focused on tennis rising to the rank of number one in New England and number 12 in the United States in the super seniors. He enjoyed traveling New England and the East coast to participate in various tennis tournaments. His most famous match was a doubles event against tennis legend, Davis Cup and Wimbeldon Champion Gardnar Mulloy and tennis great Vern Hughes for the United States Super Senior Grass Court Championship at the Essex County Club in 1994, at the age of 82. He was considered by many people, including local sports editors to be the best all around athlete in Lowell in the last 100 years.
A retired linotype operator, he worked for the Lawrence-Eagle Tribune for a majority of his career. He had also spent time working with the Boston Post, Courier Citizen, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, and the Lowell Sun.
His survivors include his five children, Atty. Joseph D. Regan of Lowell and his friend, Dr. Gail Carney of Nashua, M. Paula Regan of Lowell, Thomas Regan and his wife, Cecile, of Lowell, J. Kevin Regan and his wife, Kate, of Lowell, and Atty. Brian Regan and his wife, Debra, of Thornton, NH; his son in law, Robert G. Dwyer of Tewksbury; four grandchildren Amy Dwyer of Charlestown, Kerry Dwyer McNeal of Chelmsford, Margaret Regan of South Boston, and Kevin Regan of Tempe, AZ; a step grandaughter, Melissa Bardon and her husband, Dave, of Medford; two great-grandchildren, Aidan McNeal and Maeve McNeal; a sister, Alice McDermott of Chelmsford; and many nieces and nephews.
He was also the father of the late Elizabeth Regan Dwyer and brother of the late James ‘Stewie’ Regan, the late Peter Regan, the late Mary Etta Gallagher, the late Rita Lappin, and the late Ruthie Regan Marino.
YOU ARE INVITED TO HIS CALLING HOURS 4 UNTIL 6 P.M. ON THURSDAY AT THE MCDONOUGH FUNERAL HOME, 14 HIGHLAND STREET, LOWELL (978 OR 800) 458-6816. AT THE REQUEST OF THE FAMILY HIS FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD PRIVATELY. BURIAL IN ST. MARY CEMETERY. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO THE FRIENDS OF SHEDD PARK (FOSP), 197 PARKVIEW AVE, LOWELL MA 01852. E-CONDOLENCE SITE WWW.MCDONOUGHFUNERALHOME.COM
