Arlene (Schwartz) Regan

Arlene Schwartz Regan, 83 of Naugatuck left the world in the arms of her daughters who were fortunate enough to say their “goodbyes” and their “I love you’s” to her before her passing on November 1, 2024.  Arlene was the lifelong love of her late husband Tom Regan.  Arlene was born August 13, 1941 in Waterbury, a daughter of the late Earl and Olga (Zemoitel) Schwartz. 

Arlene was a graduate of Naugatuck High School and had many friends that she kept in touch with for the decades that followed.  After high school, Arlene went on to graduate from Kavallo School of Hair and was a licensed hair dresser earning awards from the Clairol Institute.  In her early employment, Arlene worked in the lab at Uniroyal Chemical in Middlebury.  Subsequent to her lab days, she worked for thirty years for the Naugatuck Board of Education as a paraprofessional.  

Later in life, Arlene pursued her interest in criminology and attended Naugatuck Valley Community College where she took classes that sparked her love of mystery solving.  Arlene was also active in her community, serving on the Naugatuck Zoning Board of Appeals initially as the secretary and eventually as the Vice Chairperson. She loved going to sites and meeting with people and hearing their stories.  She was also on the PTA and involved as troop leader in the Girls Scouts of America and Brownies.  Her craft projects reigned supreme and she made sure everyone had a yule log during the camping season.

Arlene took great pride in her crafting projects; there was nothing she couldn’t master in a short period of time.  She loved painting, embroidery, making holiday wreaths and restoring furniture.  She was wonderful cook.  Arlene’s apple pies were legendary to friends and family.  The phrase it’s not clean til it’s” Ar-clean” was an affectionate saying around people who knew her and marveled at her organizational skills and her immaculate home.

Arlene was a wonderful mother, grandmother, mother-in-law and wife.  She and Tom found their way back to each other and were together until Tom’s passing in 2023.  Arlene’s love and memory will be cherished by her daughters Shannon Regan-O’Brien and Jill Regan-Baltrush and her grandchildren Tommy and Kylie O’Brien and Zoe and Mark Baltrush and her son-in-laws Tom O’Brien and Steve Baltrush.  Arlene was preceded in death by her love Tom Regan, her sister Barbara Rimkoski and her parents Earl and Olga Schwartz.  Spending time with her family was her greatest joy.  She will be so dearly missed.  All services will be private and at the convenience of the family.

Prospect Memorial/The Palmerie Family Funeral Home is honored to be caring for Arlene’s family during this difficult time and invites you to share your favorite memories of Arlene and your words of comfort for her family on this website on Arlene’s tribute wall.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Arlene (Schwartz) Regan, please visit our floral store.