SALISBURY - Louis Francis Reginato of Salisbury and formerly of Cambridge died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018 at Genesis Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Salisbury after an extended illness. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he was the son of the late Angelo and Erminia Bernardi Reginato.
Louis was a 1951 graduate of Richmond Hill High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. He graduated from the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler in 1955 with a B.S in Oceanic Transportation. He was appointed a Reserve Officer/Ensign in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Officer in 1955. Louis read, wrote and spoke fluently in English, Italian and French. He attended the School of World Trade in 1956 completing coursework in Chartering and Ship Brokerage. He subsequently joined the U.S. Navy as Lieutenant Junior Grade and served with the Naval Command Forces in Yokosuka, Japan from 1956-1958.
In 1959, Louis joined Motorships, Inc. (later Wallenius Lines) of New York, N.Y. shipping imported cars to U.S. ports and domestic cars to European ports. Retiring as Vice President of Operations in 1987, Louis moved from Syosset Long Island, N.Y. to his longtime residence on the Hudson Creek south of Cambridge to enjoy Eastern Shore living. He had been a Salisbury resident since 2016.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Ruth (Barnes) Reginato, and a sister, Mary Dalla Zanna. He is survived by his wife, Barbara (Guzik) Bleech Reginato whom he married in 1999; three children from his first marriage - Anna Marie (Greg) Henwood, Elizabeth Colon and a son, Louis Reginato, Jr., two grandsons, two great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews; five stepchildren – Nestor T. (Sabrina) Bleech, Nicole M. (Jack) Mumford, Marcus F. (Mary) Bleech, Andre M. Bleech and Michele M. (Jeff) Napoliello and five step-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements will be private and scheduled at a later date. Louis's life was greatly enhanced and extended through the generosity of a kidney transplant he received in 2005. As such, he has donated his remains to the Anatomy Board of Maryland with the hope that future doctors can learn more about kidney diseases and cures. A celebration of Louis's life will be planned within the coming months. Finally, the family would like to thank all of the doctors, nurses and staffs at PRMC, Fresenius Kidney Care and Salisbury Genesis for their kindness and care of Louis. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Louis F. Reginato may be made to the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) Foundation.