Connie Marie Regan

Connie Marie Regan (Dickerson), 51, of New Berlin, died at 12:35 p.m. on Sunday, May 28, 2017. Connie was born September 14, 1965 in Springfield, IL the daughter of John and Pearl (Wieborg) Dickerson of Pleasant Plains. They preceded her in death. Connie was a graduate of Pleasant Plains High School. She married Gregory Regan at West Side Christian Church in 1987. They celebrated 30 years of marriage on March 14, 2017. Connie is survived by her husband, Gregory Regan; daughter, Kelly (husband, Adam) Sneed and their children Olivia (3), Kinsley (2) and Paxton Sneed (5 months) of New Berlin; son, Dustin (fiance, Madison Hannah) Regan and their son Vincent Regan (19 months) of Cantrall; brother, Ron (wife, Becky) Dickerson of New Berlin; brother, John (wife, Maggie) Dickerson of Springfield; sister, Bonnie (husband, Greg) Dickerson-Dodd of Marquette Heights; and several beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Connie was a true believer that if you love what you do, youll never work a day in your life and that showed through in her passion for everything she did. Connie was always the person who raised her hand to volunteer, even if it was unchartered territory and never gave up an opportunity to learn and excel in everything she touched. She started out in high school working at the family vending business, Colonial Vending, where she became part owner and manager after the passing of her parents. When running the coin counter, Connie could tell a silver dime from the sound it made when it hit the rim. Then her children, Kelly and Dustin, came into her life. They attended Cathedral Grade School, where Connie started the hot lunch program. She is fondly remembered as the lunch lady and playground supervisor by many Cathedral graduates, who she would later serve Rolling Meadows beer to. She started a catering business with Bill Vogt, C&B Catering, serving all of the Cathedral parishioners and clubs, putting her kids to work alongside her at an early age. She had fantastic culinary skills and never used a recipe, but could whip up a party for 100 people without breaking a sweat. After her kids graduated, Connie started her own house cleaning business, but she was never the "cleaning lady." Her clients looked forward to seeing her, working alongside her, and viewed her as a trusted friend. Connie was a co-founder of Rolling Meadows Brewery, and best friend to Caren Trudeau. She worked as Operations Manager alongside her son Dustin, Head Brewer. She received several certificates from the Siebel Institute in beer brewing. She was a staple at the local farmers markets and Springfield events and was referred to as the beer lady by many. She loved to share her passion of brewing with anyone who would listen, giving talks about the beer or brewery tours. Most recently, Connie founded Just the Basics, LLC and formed two partnerships with Coopers StrEATside Bistro (Just the Basics Catering) and Maldaners (Just the Basics Catering II) and planned to operate as a full-service catering company. Connie was an animal whisperer, there was no animal she was afraid of and they seemed drawn to her. She would find them in need and nurse them back to health to set them free, even if that meant around the clock feedings with a dropper. She left behind her two dogs, an English Bull Terrier named Finnegan and a rescue American Bull Dog named JuneBug, they were her trusted companions. The best of her shined through when her grandchildren were born. She begged for grandchildren, but didnt realize she would be blessed with 4 in 3 years. She was so proud to be a grandmother and took great pride in being called Memaw (Ma). They were the highlight of her life and she somehow found time in her busy days to spend time with them and helping in any way she could. She was letting her hair go grey, and was so happy and proud to do so. While most women cringe at aging, Connie embraced it and was a natural beauty. She taught us well. Connie was a free spirit, lighting up every path she crossed, and we, her family and friends, have suffered a great loss of our beloved wife, mom, Memaw (Ma), sister, aunt, cousin, and best friend. She will live in our hearts forever. Cremation was accorded by Butler Cremation Tribute Center. The family will host a public Celebration of Life for Connie at Rolling Meadows Farm & Brewery (3954 Central Pointe Road, Cantrall, IL 62625) on July 2, 2017 from 2 until 4 p.m. Please come and share your story and help us celebrate the life of Connie Marie Regan. Memorial contributions may be made to the Connie Regan Memorial Fund at United Community Bank for the education of her grandchildren.