ASH-RALPH, Regina

September 9, 1966 – April 8, 2024. Our bright light has gone out. Following a two year battle with cancer, Regina Ash-ralph passed away at home in St. John’s on April 8, 2024 at the age of 57.

She leaves to remember her life and mourn her death, her husband Michael; son Liam; sisters: Linda Ash, Lorraine Pearce (Bill), Angeline Ash, and Patty Ashley (Chris); sister-in-law, Elizabeth Burridge (Chad); brother-in-law, Matthew Ralph (Angie Sheaves); mother-in-law, Brenda Ralph; numerous nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats Opie and Patches.

She was predeceased by her father Edward Ash (2014); her mother Angeline Ash (2017); her brother Edward Ash (2023) and her previous cats Fluffy, Pokey and Tiny.

She was a model of intelligence, strength, courage, and fortitude forged from circumstances which would have broken many.

Regina was the youngest of six children and was blind from birth. From an early age her parents, and especially her mother, determined her vision loss would not hold her back and that she would have a normal independent life as much as possible.

Her hardest and most challenging experience was being sent to a residential school, the Sir Frederick Fraser School for the Blind, at the age of six. Newfoundland did not have itinerant teachers for the visually impaired in the school system at that time and all blind children were sent to the school in Halifax instead.

It was a life of structure and organization. She learnt to keep her clothes in their allocated space and make her own bed. On weekends there was more flexibility. In her final years as a senior girl she assigned her own apartment in the building to perfect her independent skills.

She always felt the education she received was superior with small classes, dedicated teachers, and extra help readily available. Her braille reading skills were extraordinary and she received the awards for top braille reader in her class for a number of years. She also felt the school made them feel like regular children rather than being singled out as special if she had been in the regular system. She never felt she was in any way a victim of residential schools and that the education she received was superior to today’s visually impaired students in the regular system because of the body of excellence and resources at the school. She read braille at the highest levels of contractions throughout her life.

After completing Grade 12 in 1985 she returned to Newfoundland and attended Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her fierce independence showed itself as she organized her own class schedule, book purchases, and negotiated her way through MUN’S tunnel system and connected buildings with her white cane. After 12 academic years away she moved home and lived with her parents.

It was at Memorial that she met her future husband, Michael, when she was introduced to him by his girlfriend at the time in 1986, although they didn’t become a couple until that relationship ended and they both had graduated. They kept in contact through MUN as they were both completing a B.A. in Religious Studies. After graduation she worked numerous contract jobs in St. John’s. In 1996 they married after Michael finished his law degree at the University of Ottawa and obtained employment with the Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission. His work took them to Grand Falls-windsor, Marystown, and to St. John’s in 2000 where they remained until her death.

She was a devoted mother when their only child was born in 1997. With no family in Marystown and her husband working full-time, her organizational skills flourished. Clothing, diapers and supplies had a set location. Laundry, meals, naps and play had schedules. From an early age Liam was surrounded by books containing both print and braille so that he could be read to by either parent, Mommy with her fingers and Daddy with his eyes.

She took great pride in watching him grow to receive Grade 12 honours from Gonzaga, a degree from MUN, a diploma in aircraft maintenance from College of the North Atlantic, and a permanent job with Air Canada.

Michael and Regina were devoted to each other during their marriage. They both had a great love of reading and were surrounded by books. They loved Newfoundland. Summer vacations would be spent visiting a selected area- Bonavista Peninsula, Baie Verte Peninsula, St. Anthony, Southern Labrador – and exploring it in detail. They were devoted to cats and always had one or two, who had full run of their house throughout their marriage. Neither wanted to live anywhere else or even visit southern locations. They were happiest being together in their home. Throughout their marriage they made most decisions, large and small, together and he turned first to her in times of doubt. When his workplace turned into a very difficult environment in 2020, it was her reasoning, intelligence, and strength which helped him negotiate the matter through his early retirement in February 2024.

Cremation has taken place. There will be no visitation, but there will be a funeral service at Wesley United Church on Friday, April 12th, at 11 a.m., followed by inurnment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, in St. John’s (Galway).

As was her way, she preplanned her funeral after being diagnosed with cancer in 2022, and prepared this obituary with her husband after being told in 2024 her cancer was incurable.

As VOWR and cats gave her great joy, donations in her name may be made to VOWR at PO Box 26006, St. John’s, NL A1E 0A5 or Heavenly Creatures at PO Box 382, Station C, 354 Water Street. St. John’s, NL A1C 1C0.

Special thanks to her sister Lorraine and niece Melissa for their help during her cancer experience and to Reverend William Mercer at Wesley United Church for his pastoral support.

To view the online memorial guest book, please visit: www.cauls.ca