Regina Ellis Obituary

Regina Ellis, 82, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Harlingen, Texas, passed away on August 11, 2025. She leaves behind her soulmate, whom she met while they were students at St. Ann's High School, and husband of 64 years, Joseph C. Ellis; her son, William J. Ellis and his wife, Leane; her daughter, Carole A. DeSantis; two grandsons, Michael A. DeSantis and his wife, Kiley, and Stephen J. DeSantis and his life companion, Jessica Donnelly; and two great-grandchildren, Julian and Magnolia DeSantis. Others in her family who also mourn her passing are her brother James and sister-in-law Kathie Groves; her sisters-in-law, Donna Pumphrey and her partner, John Harding; and Patricia and her husband, Jeffrey Powers, in addition to two generations of nephews and nieces.

Nurturing others was intrinsic to who Regina was and her unquestionable joy was her family, demonstrating over the years that their welfare was her driving force. She was a stay-at-home mother and homemaker until her children were older, and then she became a teacher's aide at the Forbes School. Regina and Joe became dedicated care-givers for their grandsons when their father and their beloved son-in-law, Arthur F. DeSantis, Jr., passed away, supporting Carole, Michael, and Stephen in every way possible and savoring every moment she had with them.

Regina's default behavior was to be kind and helpful to anyone she knew. She was also known to offer directions and suggestions to strangers everywhere she went. She was quite a talented and inventive seamstress, never meeting a craft she did not try, and mastered them all from crocheting afghans for everyone in the family to learning Swedish Weaving techniques. Regina relished her role as a band parent for the 1980s Gloucester High School as she and Joe chaperoned trips to local and distant destinations. Camping was a yearly family ritual and summers at White Lake in a tent trailer became one of her great delights. As empty-nesters, they upgraded to an RV and Regina spent summer weekends with Joe at Scusset Beach on Cape Cod and at Salisbury Beach in their RV. Later RV trips took her across the U.S. to visit many of the national parks. They were active members of the RV groups Good Sam and FMCA for years. When they retired, "Jidge" and Joe settled into an RV community of snowbirds in Harlingen, Texas, where they spent the last 25 winters. In Texas, she enjoyed patrolling the campground with Joe in their golf cart; going out for soft-serve cones; bingo; crafting, of course; and was known as the Cookie Lady, where she provided treats for community occasions like their weekly musical Jam. Regina's practical, dry wit provided laughter when least expected, usually as a surprise aside; and she entertained her family and friends with her obsession with the weather, making her an avid metrological savant who always knew which way the wind was blowing for her travels.

In addition to her son-in-law, Regina was predeceased by her mother Rita DeGrandpre Szostek; adoptive parents William and Helen Groves; her brother William Groves, Jr.; and her in-laws, Charles and Dora Ellis.

The family would like to acknowledge and thank the Gloucester Fire Department and EMTs for their care and compassion, and a special thank-you to both Kathy Reardon for her tender nursing care, and to Robin Wilson for her kindness and coordination of endless medical details.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital be made in Regina's memory.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 20, at 12:00 noon at The St. Ann's Church, 60 Prospect Street, Gloucester. Burial will be private. Arrangements by the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester.