NORWICH – Irene E. Reger, 87, long time Norwich resident, passed away Saturday evening, July 21, 2007 in the Residential Health Care Facility of the Chenango Memorial Hospital, where she had made her home for the past several years.
Irene was born May 25, 1920 in South New Berlin, the daughter of Charles A. and Maude (Johnson) Brooker. A resident of the Norwich area all of her life, she had attended the Norwich schools. On Jan. 13, 1962 in Scranton, Pa. she married Conrad Reger, who passed away Jan. 6, 1994. Irene had worked for a brief period of time for the Norwich Knitting Mill, but her main working career was with the Norwich Pharmacal Co. where she was employed for 30 years retiring in June of 1982 from Morton-Thiokol. She was also a member of the Quarter Century Club.
Following her retirement, Irene kept herself busy enjoying her family, especially her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren and truly loved spending the holidays with them which was very important to her. She could often be found in the kitchen making chocolate “slush” which was a favorite of her grandchildren. After church on Sundays, her family remembers gathering at her home just to have a good time. A lady who liked to knit and crochet, Irene had made countless mittens, scarves and slippers for all of her family. Throughout her working career and retirement, she enjoyed a good game of pitch. While working at the pharmacy she and her co-workers would go into work an hour early just to play cards. For several years Irene had made her home at the Golden Age Apts. in Norwich where she acquired many friends, and, as we all know, she enjoyed talking on the phone with them and her family.
Irene is survived by her children, Roscoe (Rocky) Nuzzolese and his partner Jennie Carpenter of Norwich, Mary Ann Demeree of South New Berlin, Darrell Lawson and his wife Sue of Norwich and Lorence Lawson and his wife Pat also of Norwich; her grandchildren: Robert Nuzzolese of Oxford, Terry (Brad) Aldrich of Oxford, Lori Castillo and Debbie Lawson both of Maryland, MaryLynn (Rich) Perleman of Pennsylvania, Lina Demeree of South New Berlin, Sandra (Jamie) Frank of Norwich, Dara (Steve) Gibbon of Norwich, Christine (Ace) Hughes of North Carolina, Connie (Brad) Thornton of Oregon, Dave Lawson and his fiancee Elizabeth Kilmer of Norwich and Barbara Lawson of Ireland and two step-grandchildren Jeremy and Eric Peptis. Also surviving are 20 great grandchildren, two great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Besides her husband Conrad, Irene was predeceased by two grandchildren, Darlene Lawson and Brian Scott Demeree, her sister Gertrude Thompson and her brothers LaVerne, Kenneth and Robert Brooker.
Funeral services for Irene will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday from the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home. The Rev. Jerry Shriver, pastor of the Brisben Baptist Church, will officiate. Interment will follow in the Mt. Hope Cemetery.
Friends may call at the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home on Tuesday from 1 p.m. until the time of the service at 2.
Please consider memorial contributions to the Norwich Emergency Squad, c/o Fire Chief, 31 East Main St. Norwich, NY 13815.