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 Regina Britton
Date of Birth: August 3, 1952
Date of Death: August 30, 1975
Newport News, Virginia
PHOTO AHS YEARBOOK, 1969
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These wonderful remembrances are from Gina's sister, Maggie (Britton) Northwind. Thank you Maggie for sharing them with us.
Gina was born August 3, 1952 - eleven months before I came into the world. Yes. My father was in the Navy and was away at sea often. Korea was the focus of that time. Therefore, both parents made “quality” use of their time together helping to create the “Baby Boomer” generation. Hence, Gina and I were only 11 months apart. In spite of all the moving around - Maryland to California to Pennsylvania to Virginia - Thank god, Gina and I were kept together. As siblings in a precarious situation, it was a comfort that we had each other.
While living with our Grandma Britton, I recall exploring our farmland neighborhood just about every day - unless it was rainy and cold. We visited the creek in front of the house often; and caught frogs, brought them back, and held races on the back porch of Grandma’s house. Unfortunately, Grandma couldn’t see too well, and a couple of frogs met their death by getting under her foot. She wore black, one inch heels with laces to accompany her ankle long cotton dress and apron; her long white hair twisted and wrapped in a bun on the back of her head; and wire glasses adorned her eyes. (Obviously, the glasses didn’t help much. Poor frogs!)
Across the two-lane highway was a farm that had a pond. We could see it from the house. An adult had to accompany Gina and I across the street. I recall my father being the only escort. He stayed with us in both the warm weather because of snakes; and winter when the pond froze - we got ice skates one Christmas - it was great fun learning to skate on the thick ice, bumpy with limbs and other debris.
Beyond the back of the house, there was a trash pit (not too clearly divided in two sections - garbage and trash) where cans, broken glass, worn out stuff, was thrown. Garbage consisted of the biodegradable items - egg shells, chicken bones, coffee grinds, etc.
Gina and I were stepping carefully through the pit, looking at all the junk - found some broken toys. Yippee! We were close to the dividing line between garbage and trash (not well defined, mind you) when all of a sudden Gina reached down, came up fast, and shoved used, wet coffee grinds into my mouth - ARRGGGGHHHH! I was sputtering, spitting coffee grinds. She was laughing as she carefully moved away from me, and broke into a run. Dang it! That turkey got away unscathed! Never mind chasing after her. I was too busy trying to clean the grinds out of mouth, which is impossible if there's some on your hands.
Being with Grandma Britton was the best few years in our early lives. Every now and then, during the summer, my Aunt Laurella, who lived across the dirt road from Grandma’s, would take us swimming in a nearby lake or to Buttermilk Falls. (Can’t remember the name of the lake.) The bottom of the lake was muddy and murky..”be careful of the snapping turtles”, we were warned. Gina and I were careful not to touch our toes into the muck. Summer evenings were spent catching fireflies, eating fresh watermelon, etc.
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Stephen Wendt
I so much enjoyed Gina's company. We took Geography & English classes together. But after a while we got to be good friends. We laughed & joked a lot, especially when we were slated to go to the big city as part of a class program, New York City, to see a play & have a dinner in a NY restaurant. We were kids, knew nothing but had SUCH a good time. We loved, absoultely loved Fiddler on the Roof & the fact that we could drink Singapore Slings at the neighborhood restaurant afterwards w/out being carded while eating great Italian food. To us, at that moment at age 17 we had "arrived". And, besides having to be prodded a few times on the bus back by our English teacher for being a little too intimate, it was one of my most fond High School memories. I miss Gina's laugh a lot!
Steve Wendt
Victoria Lee
I remember when Gina lived with me, my mom and brothers for a while during high school. We had such good times together and got into all kinds of mischief...lol. I remember she and I had gotten into trouble (can't remember why), but Mom wouldn't let us do our hair that night and told us to go to bed....I'm thinking maybe we came home late. So there we were, with our extra large curlers, and flashlights, in a double bed, heads under the covers trying to get our rollers in our hair. Well we were caught by Mom, probably because of the laughing....suffice to say Gina and I had a bad hair day the next day at school. No girl wants a bad hair day especially in high school...ugh!
I was so saddened when I learned of her death and drove to Newport News where she lived at the time, to say goodbye to my beloved friend. I think of her often, but always with a smile on my face.
Carla Bachurski (Allen)
When my parents first moved up here from Florida, we lived in an apartment in Annandale. Margaret and Gina lived across the street. We all hung out at the pool every day, all summer long, partly to work on our pro tans (baby oil and iodine, of course ... ignorance was bliss back then), and partly to flirt with the lifeguards who were always older than us and usually adorable. Gina somehow talked this one lifeguard into teaching her how to drive a stick shift. He had a VW Beetle I believe. He showed her how to find reverse, and she found it, allright. Then put the pedal to the metal and made the fastest U-turn I've ever seen, in reverse, rear-ending the car three spaces next to her!
We all laughed, even Gina. Come on, she couldn't have hit that car any more directly if you painted a bull's eye on the back of it! The only one not laughing, of course, was the lifeguard.
Gina, you died way too young. I miss you, Maggie misses you, we ALL miss you. But I know I will see you again some day, and you will have mastered that clutch thang!
Carla Bachurski (Allen)
Nice story, Maggie! Gina was a pip!