Regina L (Spallino) Starolis

Regina Spallino Starolis died on June 22nd at her home in Middle Haddam, CT.  Regina was born in Queens, New York on December 13, 1942, the daughter of the late Rose and FrankSpallino.

After working as a passenger representative for American Airlines, juggling complicated calls from VIP passengers, and problem solving for the airlines, she spent the rest of her career at Yale University where she was the indispensable executive assistant for six Yale University presidents. 

For forty years she sat right outside the office of the president, handling appointments, messages, and calls, and befriending everyone in the process. Known by everyone everywhere in the university from the School of Medicine at one end of the campus to the Divinity School at the other, she made Yale a warmer, more welcoming, and friendlier place.

Starolis’ husband, Algirdas, died in 1996.  She is survived by her sister Sandra Tarowsky, her niece Dina Gerbasio, her nephew Todd Gerbasio (Melina), and her adored great nieces Stephanie, Melissa, Jessica, and Megan Viskoc and Brianna and Samantha Gerbasio and nephews Ziggy and Paul Dicpinigaitis. She is predeceased by her brother-in-law, Neil Tarowsky. 

The Spencer Funeral Home, 112 Main Street, East Hampton, CT, is in charge of arrangements. A wake will be held there on Friday, June 30th from 5:00-8:00 pm. The funeral will take place at 11:00 am on Saturday, July 1st at Christ Episcopal Church, 66 Middle Haddam Road in Middle Haddam, CT. Burial will follow on Saturday at 2:30 pm in the Grove Street Cemetery, 227 Grove Street, New Haven, CT.  A memorial service will be held at Yale University on Friday, September 8th, in a location that will be announced later. 

A longer memorial of her life can be read at the site of the Yale Office of Public Affairs.

Donations in memory of Regina Starolis may be made to St. Jude’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to New Haven Reads, 45 Bristol Street, New Haven, CT 06511. 

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