Regina Frances Hall

Regina Frances Hall (affectionately known as Gina) passed away on July 5, 2024, after battling with cancer and Alzheimer’s for several years. She died in Santa Clarita, California, where she resided for multiple decades, at the age of 81.

Born Regina Thornhill on November 27, 1942, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Gina was just 17 when she married her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Hall, although she was already in college.

For 33 years, Gina worked in the Reprographics Department at College of the Canyons, where her colleagues remarked on her sharp mind and impressive creativity. She retired from COC in 2007.

Gina was a loving and devoted wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and great grandmother; there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her family. With undying love, she never gave up on her children.

While she may have seemed timid or quiet at a glance, her sharp, dry wit was always waiting to surprise you.

Gina was very creative. One of her favorite hobbies was crafting. She had a true knack for many different fine arts and spent much of her spare time creating a variety of ceramic objects and porcelain dolls. She would carefully sew intricate outfits for each of her dolls and patiently hand-paint all their delicate details, then offer them for sale at craft shows and holiday fairs across Southern California.

Additionally, Gina owned and operated Guaranteed Christmas, a local business specializing in Christmas decorations. Every holiday season, she would create beautiful and thoughtful holiday displays for homeowners and businesses alike.

Gina was also an incredible cook. She supported her husband, Jerry, in his vegetarian lifestyle and was known for her homemade cheese enchiladas and lasagna. For dessert, she enjoyed making baklava and Savarin Chantilly cake for her family — the latter was a longstanding Christmas tradition.

An avid speed reader, Gina could finish a new book in just a few hours. She particularly loved romance novels, and throughout her kids’ young lives, she would trade harlequin romance books with her mother-in-law (or, “Grandma Helen,” to the family). Likely thanks to her love of reading, Gina had a brilliant mind. No one could beat her in a game of Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune — both regular programming in her household every weeknight.

Her daughter Jennifer has said “I may have lost her in this life, but I was privileged and blessed to have the best mother for 56 years of my life. She never gave up on me, even in my darkest hour and through all of the challenges of my life.”

A fond memory from her daughter, Sabrina: “She would pile me and all my friends into the backseat of the family Rambler and drive us out to the beach in the summer. If we saw a cute guy in another car, she would speed up to help us “check him out!” She was fun like that. She used to drop us off at Magic Mountain with all our neighborhood friends, then wait up late to come collect us when the park finally closed. She was happy to be the neighborhood ‘taxi,’ making sure everyone got home safely.”

”I wish everyone could have a mom like mine. The world would be a better place if everyone had a mom like mine,” her son, Thaddeus, reflected. Her grandson, Bryson, remembers her warmly: “Grandma was f*cking rad!”

Her brother, Neil, recalls that Gina was always tall as a young girl, attractive too and smart as they come – always ahead in school. That may be why she was a bit shy, but she attracted and retained friendships with her cousins and close friends that lasted all her life.

But she had an adventurous side too. She loved the wooden roller coaster at Long Beach Pike and Belmont Park in San Diego. Luckily, she dragged Neil along on two occasions. When he was 14, she taught him to drive in her 1951, 4500 lb Black 4 door Buick Special with mohair seats. She could do no wrong in his eyes after that.

Of course, Jerry had a Triumph motorcycle when they met and against their mom and dad’s wishes, Neil recalls that she gladly enjoyed riding on it. Scared or not, no one will ever know. Maybe just because their mom and dad didn’t like it.

Gina instantly got along with her sister-in-law, Hope Thornhill, Hope’s sister, Geri, and their parents, Dorothy and Manny. She loved her extended family and often noted that she was so happy to see her little brother find Hope. She and Hope truly enjoyed cooking for the holiday gatherings with the whole family. Geri would often work with Gina and the family helping her decorate homes and businesses for Christmas through Gina’s business, Guaranteed Christmas.

Her family and friends will always cherish the way she affectionately referred to them with such sweet terms of endearment. She typically addressed those she cared about with variations of “sweetie pie,” “pumpkin,” and “cutie,” always with a big, heartfelt smile.

Regina is survived by her three children: Thaddeus, Jennifer, and Sabrina. Additionally, her grandchildren are Jesse, Breanna, Heather, Christopher, and Bryson. Also, her great-grandchildren: Jack, Lucy, Ellie, Emma, Callum, and Amelia. Finally, her brother, Neil Thornhill.

Gina’s warm presence will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all who knew her.