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REGINA Y. WANG
May 4, 1935 -- June 30, 2020

Regina Y. Wang, a loving daughter, wife, sister, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully on June 30, 2020 in Pleasanton, California. She was 85.

Regina is survived by her husband, Edward; her children, Annette (Christopher), Yvette (George), and Garrick (Sonia); and her seven grandchildren, Julia, Lauren, Bryce, Talia, Maxwell, Zachary, and Charlotte.

Born and raised in China, Regina emigrated to the United States in her early twenties to attend graduate school. She often recalled her fond memories of the bright lights and star-filled skies that characterized her journey to America--a journey she made with four of her classmates from Taiwan, and a journey that took her across the world from Taipei to Oakland to Chicago. She then earned her master's degree in education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she met her husband, Edward. For the next chapter of her life, Regina became an avid investor and dedicated mother, taking care of both her parents and three children, teaching Chinese at a local college, and briefly dabbling in real estate. Whether it was caring for the watermelon, oranges, and green peppers in her garden, fixing shingles on the roof, or having an after school snack ready, Regina took every opportunity to teach the importance of money, education, hard work, and love for family. She was also a world traveler who, from Paris to Kansas City, sought out Chinese food in every corner of the world as opposed to the local cuisine.

In her later years, nothing made Regina happier than spending time with her beloved grandchildren. She was the type of grandmother who relished every opportunity to share her wisdom--at the supermarket while picking fruit; in the kitchen while cooking her famous recipes; in the living room while recalling seminal moments of her life. She also became an avid artist, and had dozens of beautiful paintings by the time of her passing.

For the last two decades of her life, Regina struggled with Parkinson’s disease, which significantly impaired her mobility. Still, her fighting spirit and will to live remained palpably unfazed. Regina never once complained about her condition, ever-so insistent on caring for her loved ones. She refused to let guests or visitors leave without taking a snack for the road. She relentlessly scoured department stores in hopes of finding discounted designer clothes and tchotchkes for her grandchildren, walker or wheelchair in hand. And of course, Regina loved eating with and cooking for her loved ones. From soy-marinated duck filled with sticky rice to perfectly crisp dumplings, Regina's cooking never failed to bring dozens of people together--even if it meant arguing with her grandchildren on the meat to vegetable ratio. She also took every opportunity to indulge in her favorite foods, especially if it was a chocolate truffle or crab before her. Indeed, in the last week of her life, Regina remarked she was happiest when surrounded by her friends and family at the dinner table.

No doubt Parkinson's took a toll on Regina's life--but it was a beautiful education for those around her in understanding unconditional love. Above all else, it taught those around her to believe in the value of empathy and unbridled compassion. We are eternally grateful Regina left that lesson for those who loved and cared for her.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research may be made in Regina's memory on this page. Alternatively, friends and family can also honor Regina's memory by participating in a virtual 5k walk organized by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research here: https://foxtrot[DOT]michaeljfox[DOT]org/bayarea/Team/View/133196/Queen-Regina. Please note you need to manually replace [DOT] with a " . " to access the link.

We will love and miss her forever.