Regina R. Olff

Regina Rosa Gibel Olff passed away on July 8, 2026, in Canaan, Connecticut, after a series of strokes. She was 92 years old.

Born at Boston City Hospital on December 22, 1933, Regina grew up in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. She was one of three daughters born to Nathan and Rose Gibel. Her older sister, Istar Silver, passed away in 2020. She is survived by her younger sister, Susan Gurevich, of Washington State.

At just 17 years old, Regina married Joseph Vincent Olff in an interracial marriage at a time when such unions remained illegal in many states. Although their marriage ended after 27 years, they built a family together, and Regina remained single for the rest of her life.

From an early age, Regina embraced creativity and lifelong learning, and one of her ambitions was to become a lawyer. She attended Washington Irving High School in Manhattan, where she studied clothing design. She trained in dance and dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer. She also painted and sculpted, creating moving works depicting Black mothers and their children. Her artistic talents reflected both her compassion and her deep appreciation for humanity.

Regina's lifelong commitment to justice and equality shaped every stage of her life. While living in a Mitchell-Lama cooperative in Brownsville, Brooklyn, she organized and participated in efforts to integrate the proposed Junior High School 275, located across the street from her home. She cultivated a vibrant community of progressive friends and regularly organized well-attended gatherings and festive dinner parties that usually featured live music, singing, and dancing that brought people together around shared values. Regina was also a skilled belly dancer.

Her dedication to education began as a school aide at P.S. 165 in Brownsville, where she served as president of the Parents Association and helped organize an alternative school during a teachers' strike. She later transferred to District 15 at P.S. 230, where she became a special education teacher under the leadership of Principal Bob Zuckerberg.

Over a teaching career spanning more than 20 years in the New York City public schools, Regina became an active leader in the United Federation of Teachers, serving as a chapter leader and volunteering on numerous committees. She was deeply involved with the Women's Rights Committee, the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the Just for Fun Committee, and countless other initiatives supporting educators, workers, and their communities.

While working and raising three children, Regina attended Brooklyn College, earning her bachelor's degree, followed by two master’s degrees, just a credit shy of a doctorate. Her determination and love of learning inspired everyone who knew her.

For more than a decade, Regina also spent her summers as a counselor at Camp Sommerhill in New York's Adirondack Mountains, and other camps, where she shared her warmth, creativity, and enthusiasm with generations of young people. This enabled her children to attend summer camp.

After retiring from full-time teaching, Regina continued to educate and inspire others through the United Federation of Teachers Retiree Center in New York while taking classes in Brooklyn College's SIBL (Seniors in the Borough Learning) Program. She eventually became a program coordinator and, over 13 memorable years, worked alongside Selma Mitlitsky, Everlyn Dorrell, and Kathy Giannou to organize educational travel programs for Brooklyn retirees.

Her thoughtfully designed travel itineraries reflected her gift for weaving together history, labor activism, art, and culture into unforgettable experiences. Among her many accomplishments was organizing a celebration of Jane LaTour's book *Sisterhood in the Brotherhood*, an event attended by hundreds, including Harry Belafonte and Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary.

Regina remained politically active throughout her life. She was a passionate advocate for labor rights, women's rights, civil rights, and peace. She participated in countless demonstrations against the Vietnam War and was an active member of Women Strike for Peace. Whether through organizing, teaching, or volunteering, she believed deeply in the power of ordinary people to create meaningful change.

Regina lived independently at Penn South Cooperative in Manhattan until the age of 92, with devoted assistance from her youngest daughter, Julia, who lovingly managed her household and medical care. Even as her health declined, Regina continued to serve on her cooperative ‘s Board of Directors, volunteered at the Senior Center, and eagerly attended film classes until she suffered a stroke in October 2025.

She shared with her children an enduring love of human rights, labor history, Chinese food, French pastries, Belgian chocolate, museums, art, dance, travel, and an insatiable curiosity about the world. She was a gifted teacher, a fearless activist, a talented artist, an enthusiastic traveler, and above all, a force of nature whose energy and generosity touched countless lives.

Regina is survived by her sister, Susan Gurevich; her children, Nina Olff and her partner, Eric Johnson; Anton Olff and his partner, Elena Kanibolotska; and Julia Olff and her husband, Timothy Metzger, as well as her grandchildren, Maxine Paul, Montana Metzger-Pareso, Sydney Mayberry, Jessie “Nemo” Luterbach, Lillian Pastuzyn, Cooper Metzger, and her great-grandchildren, Felix Oglesby-Paul, Elaina Mayberry, and Lincoln Mayberry.

She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her family, friends, former students, colleagues, and all whose lives were enriched by her compassion, courage, creativity, and unwavering commitment to justice.

A private memorial service for family and close friends will be scheduled.