Reggie Mazur, 87

Reggie Mazur, 87, passed away Oct. 13, 2012.

Reggie was born Feb. 10, 1925, to John Presy and Marie Cox in Pittsburgh, the middle of five siblings who grew up happily playing in Frick Park. Family lore has it that dancer and actor Gene Kelly, a family friend of the Presy’s, was Reggie’s occasional babysitter. Reggie attended Peabody High School in Pittsburgh and was active in the USO.

In the mid-1950s, Reggie and two girlfriends moved to Hollywood, Calif., where she met Bill Mazur, who would be her husband of 34 years. They eloped to Las Vegas in 1957. Their first child, Bill Jr., was born in 1959.

In 1963, Reggie and Bill Sr., bought a brand new home adjacent to a large olive grove which at that time was at the very edge of San Diego. Their second son, John, was born in 1966.

Reggie was first and foremost a homemaker and a wonderful mother. She was involved in many of her sons' activities, from youth sports to marching bands. She was famously a longtime Cub Scout den mother.

Reggie worked at a local hospital and then she opened up a daycare center out of her home. She was responsible for the care of as many as 17 children at one time. Somehow she also found time to take classes at San Diego Mesa College.

When Reggie’s husband passed away in 1992, she took over his industrial welding business. With the assistance of her son John, she often personally transported material from a weld shop in South Central Los Angeles to a Fontana steel mill.

Reggie had three grandchildren, Joe, Jessie and Hans, who were her greatest joy. (Other than her beloved Padres making the 1984 World Series!) She loved playing games and taking her grandkids on bus adventures all over San Diego. She was a frequent and willing babysitter while Bill Jr., and his wife Janice went to law school and started their practice.

Reggie moved to Whitefish in 2004 to live with Bill Jr., and his family. There she became active in the Moose Club, the Red Hats and she attended St. Charles Catholic Church. She was famous for her spaghetti dinners at Boy Scout merit badge meetings. Until last year she was a regular at The Wave gym where she was known for her cheerful upbeat attitude and her oversized San Diego Padres jacket. Spirited to a fault, last Halloween she dressed as Lady Gaga. She loved to travel and she loved to dance.  

Reggie became very close to Nadeem, an exchange student from Pakistan who lived with the Mazurs during the 2011-2012 school year. She thought of Nadeem as her grandson and proudly attended his graduation from Whitefish High School this year.

Reggie is survived by her sons, Bill Jr., and John; her three grandchildren, Joe, a student at Harvard, Jessie, a student at the University of Montana, and Hans, a student at Whitefish Middle School, her daughter-in-law, Janice, all residents of Whitefish; many loving nieces and nephews around the country. She also leaves behind her much-loved dogs, Colleen and Mae Mae.

“She is joyfully reunited in Heaven with her parents; her husband, Bill; and her siblings, Mary, Pat, John and Sally.”

Services for Reggie will be held in January in Whitefish and San Diego when all family members can be present. She will be laid to rest at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, alongside her husband.     

You are invited to go to www.austinfh.com to offer condolences, share memories and view Reggie’s tribute wall. Arrangements are entrusted to Austin Funeral Home.