Regina O Gardner

Regina was born and raised in Ridgewood, NJ. She graduated from Ridgewood High School and attended Syracuse University, where she met her husband, Peter.

With a BFA in Illustration from Syracuse, Regina enjoyed a 16-year span in advertising, graphic design, and media industries, as an illustrator/designer with Prentice-Hall Publishing in NJ, Mississippi’s Educational Television Station in Jackson, and First National Bank of Commerce in New Orleans.

After moving to Houston, Regina purchased a corporate travel management franchise from UNIGLOBE International, where she was the 7-time recipient of the company's Agency of the Year award, named Franchise Owner of the Year in 1992 and 1993 and selected as a member of the Chairman's Circle for 8 years. Regina was elected as the first Chairperson of the IFA Franchisee Advisory Council, representing franchisees on the Board and on Capitol Hill. After sitting on the International Franchise Association Board for 4 years as a franchisee representative, the IFA, in a historic move, elected Regina as the first-ever franchisee to its Board of Directors. She received the prestigious “Bonny Levine Award,” given in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments in franchising and of her status as a role model for women in the franchise community. Regina was also active with various committees, association conventions and seminars as a speaker. She continued to serve for 12 years, and upon leaving the Board, she received the International Franchise Association’s “Distinguished Service Award”.

Her commitment to volunteerism earned her Easter Seals “Volunteer of the Year” award in 1996. In addition, Regina volunteered at Ronald McDonald House and the Mission of Yahweh and was very involved in the USS Swimming program for over 10 years.

Retiring from franchising, Regina pursued her love of gardening in 2014 by becoming a Harris County Master Gardener. One of her biggest joys was participating in a program called “Growing with Plants and Nature,” a program that teaches children about plants and how to grow them.

Regina traveled extensively through the years. One of her most memorable trips was traveling to Italy with her daughter, Victoria, to attend a cooking school in Tuscany. She loved to cook and considered herself a “foodie,” with a collection of over 175 cookbooks.

Regina is survived by her loving spouse Peter of 56 years, her daughter Victoria Gardner Krummel and husband Kurt of Houston, TX, and her sister Antonea Oliveri Beckerman, of New Milford, CT and Lakewood Ranch, FL. She is also survived by countless cousins, nieces, and nephews throughout the country.

The family would like to acknowledge and thank the team of skilled Doctors, Nurses, Aides, and staff that oversaw Regina’s care over the years, as well as the team that cared for her during the past 6 weeks while at Methodist Hospital. The level of skill and compassion displayed was unparalleled.

Visitation will be held at Dignity Memorial Oaks Funeral Home & Cemetery in Houston, TX on Wednesday July 17, 2024, from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. A funeral service will be held at St. John Vianney Catholic Church on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 10:30 am. Funeral and Burial services will follow at Mt. Pleasant Reformed Church in Hudson, NY.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in support of “Breast Cancer Research”. Donations can be mailed to the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation at PO Box 4384, Houston, TX 77210-4384. To donate online, visit https://givingforms.houstonmethodist.org/GeneralGivingForm, select “Other” in the Gift Designation area, and then type in “In Memory of Regina Gardner - Breast Cancer Research ”.

In support of Regina’s love and dedication to the “Growing with Plants and Nature” program for kids, donations can be made to the Harris County Master Gardeners Association online at https://hcmga.tamu.edu/donate/ or by mail to: HCMGA, 13105 Northwest Fwy, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77040.