HARTLAND – Regon Lynne MacInnis, 30, a perfect hostess, died July 26, 2011, of cancer. Her death left a large hole in the city’s entertainment and culinary world.
If you were lucky enough to patronize Fado Irish Pub, at 15th and Locust streets, in the last seven years, you would have been treated to the beauty and charm of Regon Lynne MacInnis behind the bar. But watch out for that Irish temper: It could rattle the crockery. “Despite having a ‘little voice,’ she could unleash a withering bark that would be the envy of any drill sergeant,” said longtime friend and customer T.M. McCourt. “The ferocity of the bark itself, coupled with its angelic source, combined to strike fear in the heart of anyone in its path.” But basically, Regon was the perfect host, not only at Fado, but at her home in South Philadelphia, Pa., where she loved to entertain at what she called “baking parties” on Thursday nights, said fellow bartender Loretta Erwin, a participant in those gatherings. “Those parties derailed many a diet,” Loretta said. “Regon was well-known for her trademark smile, her personality and her unparalleled baking ability,” McCourt said. And she was always stylishly turned out. “Her sense of style was legendary,” said McCourt, who organized a number of events at Fado and was a member of the dart team. “In a group of friends wearing shorts and flip-flops, Regon would be the one adorned in a party dress and electric stiletto shoes from a seemingly endless collection.” “Even while she suffered the ravages of both cancer and its treatments, Regon wielded her completely irreverent sense of humor to put those around her at ease.” Regon was a native of Hartland and although she loved her adopted home, she remained loyal to the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. She was a graduate of Nokomis Regional High School, Newport, and Johnson and Wales University, Providence, R.I. Arriving in Philly, she became a bartender and manager at Fado, where her popularity attracted many a customer. Regon definitely had her peculiarities. For a woman of stylish demeanor she loved fly-fishing. And one of her serious dislikes was dark chocolate, despite its being touted as a health food. “Her strength was epic, as she worked in a fast-paced pub environment throughout the course of a debilitating treatment regimen – always smiling and asking others how they were doing,” McCourt said.
She is survived by her father, Craig MacInnis; her mother, Lynne Haskins; a brother, Aaron MacInnis; her grandmother, Carol Haskins-McPhetres; and her dog, Jake.
Services were private. Donations in her memory may be made to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer at www.foundationforwomenscancer.org.