Meet Eileen Regen
EIleen and Sid Regen in the BHC Community Room
Meet Eileen Regen
When Eileen and Sid Regen retired to the White Mountains in 2002, they didn’t know our synagogue on Strawberry Hill existed. Eileen had a solid religious education as a child, so she was pleased when they discovered there was Jewish religious life close by.
“We were excited to learn the synagogue had been cherished for almost 100 years,” Eileen said. Both became involved in the congregation. Sid served as BHC treasurer for many years and, as a civil engineer, was the go-to guy for all building issues and designer of the sukkah that served BHC until 2022. (Sid’s contributions to BHC are commemorated in the historical marker outside the synagogue.) “We saw what was needed and filled the slots, things that were fun as well as useful.”
When Eileen finally decided to retire from her BHC responsibilities this year, it took five people to fill her shoes. She had produced the ShulNews e-newsletter, the semiannual “Star” printed publication, headed the hospitality committee, and each year edited the Book of Golden Memories. In addition, she regularly submitted press releases about BHC events to local newspapers, produced the summer event ad book, maintained lists of friends, PR contacts, statewide Jewish organizations, other local clergy, and more.
Turns out seeking new experiences and challenges has been the way she’s lived all her life.
Eileen was born in Cleveland in 1939, lived the WWII years in Cleveland Heights, and lived 20 years in Shaker Heights.. Her one sibling, a sister, was born in 1945. Eileen’s mom called her two daughters War and Peace, and not just because one was born right before the war and one as it ended. It seems Eileen was feisty and rebellious as a young girl, often in hot water, while her sister was an obliging child.
“We had everything we needed because my parents were such hard workers,” Eileen remarked. Her father was a watch repairman who routinely brought home additional watches to fix at night. Her mother was a loving homemaker and an excellent cook. “Out of very little she could make a delicious meal.”
Eileen attended Ohio University and majored in education. She met Sid at Ohio U and the couple married in December 1957, midway through her last year. Her new husband then began serving his two-year stint in the Army and was stationed in Verdun, France. After Eileen graduated, she joined him there. Little did she know that France was just the first stop in a life full of fascinating overseas travel.
After Sid completed his active military service, the couple lived in Philadelphia, where Sid found his first civilian job. Their first child, Michael, was born there. Later, Sid’s job took them to Maryland, where Eileen had their second child, David. While in Maryland, she somehow found time to obtain a master’s degree in education.
But soon, the desire to travel prevailed. Sid decided to work for the civilian Navy Corps of Engineers (later, he filled the same role for the Air Force). “Sid would look at the postings, and if there was an interesting one, he’d apply. I was always up for a new experience,” Eileen remarked. “There wasn’t one move I regretted. All were exciting to me.”
The Regens were in Germany for 20 years and lived in Israel and Bangkok, Thailand, where Scott, their third boy, was born. Wherever they found themselves they took extensive trips and usually included their children in their travels.
Thailand was perhaps their most exotic location. Eileen enjoyed going to Sunday market in Bangkok and tasting local foods. “I figured if it was cooked it probably wasn’t going to kill me.” She also explored the etiquette of bargaining in the market. She laughed as she relayed, “The shrug is very important. I learned how to shrug my shoulders and walk away if the negotiation wasn’t going well. They always called me back.”
Life abroad often offered a busy social life--cocktail parties, formal dinners and public events. Eileen still has many evening gowns from these occasions, “…though I haven’t worn one since our move to New Hampshire.”
There was a Jewish community in every stop they made, and usually a rabbi. Often the rabbi was a chaplain from a nearby U.S. Army base. . All three boys had Bar Mitzvah preparation from such a rabbi.
Eileen began teaching middle school language arts when the family lived in Maryland. She continued teaching at the International Schools in Israel and Germany, and later at Department of Defense Schools in Germany. She loved the middle schoolers. “The kids were always up to something,” she recalled. “They had to get into a little trouble to learn how to get out of it.” Eileen enjoyed teaching so much that after the couple retired, she continued to work as a substitute teacher and volunteer her time to lead writing workshops at Lisbon Regional School.
When Eileen and Sid returned to the States for good, they assumed they’d live near one of their children. They made a few trips to visit them (and their six grandchildren) and consider this idea. “But then we took this ride…”
They were on vacation in the North Country, not an area where they had previous connections. Driving through Franconia, they were blown away by the fabulous mountain views. They came upon a house for sale in Sugar Hill and toured it. “It felt like home,” Eileen remembered, and just like that, they scratched their previous plans and decided to retire to our North Country.
Though they’d always lived in a city or the suburbs, the ever-adaptable Regens found the adjustment of rural living easy. They didn’t engage in winter sports, but they had many friends who did. “We were always happy to entertain them and be their hotel,” Eileen said.
Eileen was widowed in 2021 after seeing Sid through years of dialysis. Her son David lives with her at the big house in Sugar Hill. She said she likes to read and recently committed herself to simplifying her life. “I’m throwing away old files I dragged all over the world.” She’s been a faithful participant at BHC services for 20 years.
It’s our luck that one afternoon in 1999, Eileen and Sid wandered into the North Country and decided to make it their next adventure.