Obituary: Regena Lemon 1953-2013

Regina Lemon, courtesy of Facebook.
Regina Lemon, courtesy of Facebook.

By Evan Johnson:

Regena Lemon, 60, was one of City College’s most dedicated and long-serving admissions officers. She died on Sept. 19 from colon cancer.

She was known throughout the office as a kind-spirited woman who consistently strived to place other people’s interests before her own and was always the first person to cheer people up.

Lolita Racho, one of Lemon’s friends of 24 years, described the time that she spent with her as an amazing experience in which they cherished the company of each other and saw each other through rough and good times.

Lemon was born in 1953 and started at City College in 1978 as a volunteer student worker, balancing work, school and motherhood. She worked in several departments before obtaining a full-time position in the Admissions and Records office in 1983.

Lemon obtained her associate degree in psychology in 2006. Over the years she received awards from the Guardian Scholars Program, African American Scholastic and Retention Programs and Outreach and Recruitment Services, among others.

In 2011 she was honored with a Phoenix Award honoring her unselfish and dedicated work to City College students.

Co-worker Debbie Lowther described Lemon as having a palpable kindness. She recalled seeing her angry at another person only one time in the many years that she knew her.

One of her oldest friends John Faiello described her as, “my sister, my cousin and my best friend.”

Lemon is survived by her eight children.