Natalya Regan

Natalya was born March 14, 1989 in Magnitogorsk, in the Ural mountains region of Russia, but her life truly began nearly four years later, when Jane Regan rescued her from an orphanage and adopted her.

Everything fascinated young Natalya, from the grass and trees to modern day plumbing. She likewise awoke new wonder in those around her with her eagerness to learn and fascination with things others took for granted.

She grew up first in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where Jane was a professor of theology at St. John’s University, amid a community of close friends who love her to this day. She was joined a year and a half later by a younger sister, Catie, also adopted from Russia. Despite the occasional taunts, Natalya loved Catie dearly and was fiercely protective of her (when she wasn’t coaxing Catie to make late-night trips to the kitchen for cookies and other contraband.)

When Jane secured a professorship at Boston College, the family moved to Norwood, Mass. Natalya was a conscientious student who graduated from Norwood High School and attended Mass. Bay Community College for one year, before her illness became overwhelming and regaining her health took top priority.

Natalya didn’t seek out attention, but her dazzling smile, mirthful brown eyes and overall beauty made her a commanding presence. She was an avid snowboarder, swimmer and hiker and loved retreating to the calm of the lake near St. Timothy’s Church and to the Vermont mountains surrounding Smuggler’s Notch, where her family vacationed.

Nobody who knew Natalya would think her life was all sunshine and light and solace. Those four, formative years spent in an orphanage did profound damage to her psyche, but Natalya persevered and almost conquered the demons of her past. She was passionately loyal to those who cared about her, especially her mother and Catie.

She was a voracious reader, devouring books by Jodi Picoult and the Cirque du Freak series. She wrote volumes of poetry, and was seldom seen without a journal into which she poured new verse.

Catie has designed a memorial website to her sister and is comforted by the lyrics of Reba McEntire’s song, “My Sister.” One verse is: “I remember how we'd fight. We made up and laughed all night. Wish we were kids again. My sister my friend.”

Natalya had two glorious days at home, doted on by Jane and Catie, before she lapsed into a coma and died peacefully Friday morning - much sooner than expected but also less painfully than predicted—a blessing to her and a shock to her family.

She is also survived by uncles and aunts—Michael and Lynne Regan of New Hampshire, Chris and Jaylene Regan of Pennsylvania--and cousins Caitlin, Maggie, Nora and Melissa Regan.

Calling hours will be 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Gillooly Funeral Home at 126 Walpole St. in Norwood. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Timothy Church on Nichols Street in Norwood. Reception will take place at the church following the liturgy.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Lahey Clinic (www.lahey.org) or to the American Liver Foundation (www.liverfoundation.org.) And please visit Natalya’s website link through www.memorialwebsites.legacy to see Catie’s tribute to her sister and to leave condolences.