Robert V. Regan

Robert (Bob) V. Regan, 85, of Hope, Ark., a native of Berwyn, Ill., passed away Nov. 3, 2011, in his home with favorite songs playing in the background, psalms being read by his wife, surrounded by his family. Bob moved to Hope, Ark., in 1972 to build and operate Tex-Ark Joist Company with seven other South Carolinians and served as chief financial officer, executive v.p., and treasurer. After Tex-Ark Joist was purchased by a Texas firm, Bob founded Computerized Business Services. Bob was a deacon at Our Lady of Good Hope in Hope for nearly 25 years and was very active in social outreach serving on a committee headed by then Attorney General Bill Clinton, which studied the possibility of employing ex-convicts after early release from prison; helped orchestrate finances for Hope-In-Action, an outreach program to assist the hungry and homeless; and served on the board of the Southwest Arkansas Learning Clubs, Inc., which served undereducated children of poor parents in Hope, Magnolia, and Lewisville. During World War II, Bob was a belly turret gunner on the Liberator, a B-24 bomber at Tyndall Field, Fla., and was in charge of the Inspection Processing Center at Craig Field, Selma, Ala. When the Korean War started, Bob was recalled into the Air Force (Shaw Field, Sumter, S.C.) and moved to Columbia, S.C., with his family. He was the first sergeant of a squadron and eventually was promoted to personnel sergeant major while stationed at Brady Field and Fukuoka, Japan. Preceding Bob in death were his mother and father, Marie O'Connell Regan and Police Captain John T. Regan; four brothers, Jack, Jim, Tom, and Bill; one sister, Eileen Surin. Bob is survived by Mildred Brhel Regan, his wife of 64 years, also of Hope, Ark. Surviving children are Mark, of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Mary Jo Powers, of Santa Cruz, Calif.; Rosanne (Dave) Hansel, of New Hope, Pa.; Janice (Joe) Mullinax, of Texarkana, Ark.; Richard (Joann Mahar), of Mableton, Ga.; Peggy Wright (Marc) Roys, of Richmond, Texas; Carol (Mike) Sullivan, of North Little Rock, Ark.; Daniel (Lorraine Picciotto), of Hope, Ark.; and John, of Darien, Ill. He is also survived by 20 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; one brother, George (Pat), of Largo, Fla.; three sisters, Marge Murphy, of Lake in the Hills, Ill., Betty Sopcak, of Darien, Ill., and Donna Griffin, of West Dundee, Ill., and long time family friend, Carol Connor, of Downers Grove, Ill. Visitation will be held at Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church in Hope, Ark., on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, from 6 – 7 p.m. Rosary at 7 p.m. Funeral mass will be concelebrated by Msgr. David LeSieur, Fr. Robert Rehkemper, Fr. Bill Thomas, and Father Alphonse Gollapalli at 1 p.m., on Monday, Nov. 7, followed immediately by a reception in the church hall provided by the congregation of our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church in Hope, Ark. A graveside service will be held at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Stickney, Ill. Memorial contributions may be sent to Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church, 315 South Walker St., Hope, Ark., 71801. To send online condolences, visit www.pharrfuneralhomes.com.