Regina R. Stem

Regina Rose (Beljan) Stem, 81, of Shillington, PA died Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 at home in hospice care.

Born June 26, 1930, to Matthew (Matija) and Helena (Kwalick) Beljan in McKees Rocks, PA, she was the third youngest of 9 children.

She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Eugene C. (Stempkowski) Stem of Shillington (formerly of Baltimore, MD and McKees Rocks, PA) and her children Lugene (Mason), Ronald, Robert, and David Stem and grandchildren Matthew Mason and David and Mitchell Stem. She is survived by her siblings Alfred and Dolores (O'Reilly) and was preceded in death by Alois, Jennie, Matthew, Josephine (Lutz), Louise, and Ralph.

Regina graduated from Stowe High School, McKees Rocks in 1948 and attended Waynesburg and Robert Morris Colleges.

In Pittsburgh, she worked at DRAVO shipyards, Northwest Airline, and in Baltimore, she worked at Delta airlines and the health and fire departments in Towson, MD.

She had a love of fine arts and natural beauty that she expressed through classes at the Pittsburgh Art Academy and calligraphy and painting classes in Baltimore as well as through her membership in the Pittsburgh Modeling Club.

As a mother and grandmother, her fun-loving and joyful spirit was manifest through her leadership in Brownies and her tutoring of youngsters. Her love of learning shined as she earned a master bartender's certificate and a real estate broker's license and loved sewing, baking and birding-related activities.

She was a devoted Roman Catholic and made pilgrimages to Italy, Ireland, France, Bosnia, Portugal, and Israel and volunteered at St. John the Baptist de la Salle and St. Anthony of Padua churches and local Reading soup kitchens. She was also active in local and national politics, serving as an election official and a letter-writer for conservative issues.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date in St. John the Baptist de la Salle Church located at the intersection of Kerrick and Mitti Rds in Shillington, PA 19607.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the Alzheimer's Association by calling 800-272-3900 or www.alz.org.

Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., West Reading, PA. For online condolences, visit www.funeralhome.com.