

Regina Katherine (Fornaci) McNamara, 75, of Wolcott passed away on Sunday, July 6, 2025 at LiveWell in Plantsville surrounded by her loving family. She was the wife of Thomas Tella. Born July 31, 1949 in Philadelphia, PA she was the daughter of the late Horace and Frances Regina (Hieronimus) Fornaci.
Regina's career in healthcare spanned five decades, reflecting her lifelong commitment to caring for others. A graduate of Villanova University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she began her journey as a nurse practitioner before advancing her education with both a Master of Science in Nursing and a Master of Public Health from Yale University. Her expertise and leadership led her to join the administration of Bristol Hospital, where she served as Vice President of Nursing.
Regina later became Chief Operating Officer of HomeCare, Inc. of Wallingford, where she continued to champion quality patient care. In 2007, she founded Always There Home Care in Plainville, serving as the company's CEO until 2024. Throughout her distinguished career, Regina's greatest joy was helping patients, clients, and their families as they faced the most significant challenges of their lives. Always a strong supporter of hospice, Regina fittingly received excellent care from the teams at LiveWell and Bristol Home Care and Hospice at the end of her life.
Regina was also deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals, helping numerous caregivers at Always There navigate the academic, logistical, and financial challenges of becoming Registered Nurses. At her request, Regina’s family will be establishing a scholarship fund at Central Connecticut State University School of Nursing for students who are or were working as home health aides, certified nursing assistants, personal care attendants or any other professional caregiver and are enrolling or enrolled in CCSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
In addition to her husband, Regina leaves behind her beloved therapy dog Darcey; her children Kelly McNamara and partner Bonnie Lyons of Marlboro, NY and Scott McNamara and wife Marissa Keenan of Montreal Canada; two grandchildren Ryan and Nora McNamara; a sister Diane Spring of Panama City Beach, FL and a brother Philip Fornaci and partner Michael Geller of Washington, DC. Two brothers William Fornaci and Michael Fornaci predeceased her.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 26th at 11 a.m. at the DellaVecchia Funeral Home, 211 N. Main St., Southington. Reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Regina’s memory to the Central Connecticut State University Department of Nursing, here: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/e/SZhH6g?vid=1kgbrv
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