Regina Ann DiGiacomo Traitz (known to her loved ones as Gina and Jean) passed away at the age of 92 in Sunrise, FL on Friday, April 1, 2022.
Jean was born on February 5, 1930 to Arthur DiGiacomo and Lilian Spera in Philadelphia, PA. She was the third of four children in a very close-knit family and spent her early childhood years during the decade following the great depression attending St Mary of the Eternal School. World War II was well underway as she approached her teenage years and in 1947, Jean graduated from Hallahan High School and subsequently worked at a medical lab as a young adult .
On April 10, 1950, 20 year-old Jean married the love of her life, Harry Henry Traitz (Pat) who was 10 years her senior, in a ceremony held at the Church of St Mary’s in Philadelphia. The story goes that Jean and Pat’s family knew each other, but it wasn’t until Pat returned from the war that they connected. Originally, Jean viewed Pat as a ‘Casanova’, so didn’t initially consider him a serious suitor. In order to win Jean over, Pat proceeded to woo her mother first. He brought her mom flowers, and her mom would let Jean know that ‘Trist came by’ (she couldn’t seem to get his name right). Their courtship included activities such as bowling, in which they both excelled, earning trophies with scores of 270 (Jean) and 300 (Pat). Once wed, Jean and Pat enjoyed a honeymoon in St Augustine before settling in Philadelphia to begin their future together and start their family.
In 1962, Jean and Pat relocated to North Miami, Florida with four young children in order to be closer to family and loved ones. Jean was a very devoted mom – loved her kids first and foremost, and devoted her life to their upbringing – cheering their successes, weathering life’s challenges alongside them, and praying faithfully for their wellness and happiness every day of her life. Additionally, Jean was a gifted cook and she and Pat loved to host gatherings for every occasion. They’d host 40 or more people almost every weekend, warmly welcoming family and friends, and also strangers who often then became friends. Jean’s friends describe her as generous, a loyal and devoted friend, the life of any party, and sociable – she could strike up a full conversation with a virtual stranger standing in line at the grocery store. No matter who you were, she would welcome you and make you feel comfortable, and ensure you were fully fed with some of the best cuisine that Italy has ever produced.
Jean’s greatest love were her children, family and friends, but she also loved crossword puzzles, The Guiding Light, and her son Jim’s haircuts. (She would ask Jim to come over to cut Richard’s ‘unruly’ hair, then hint that he might as well cut hers while he was there.)
Jean leaves behind her beloved children, Richard, Robert, Donna (Vadurro), and Jim (wife Susan), along with grandchildren Michael Patrick, Mark Michael, Jean Marie, Robert Tyler, Patrick James, and Michaela Mary. Jean is also survived by her older sister and centenarian Mary Bressi Giorno, and younger sister Josephine Demarco. She was preceded in death by her adoring husband, Harry H. Traitz, child Michael James, brother Harry DiGiacomo, and son-in-law Mark Vadurro.
Now Jean and Pat are together again in heaven, in time for their upcoming 72nd wedding anniversary. We picture them dancing to the music of the big band era, while sharing Jean’s freshly baked bread and homemade Italian pasta and gravy with family and friends. ‘Grazie’ and ‘Bella Vita’ we can hear them say.
A Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 5 from 5:00-8:00pm at Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care, 1600 N. University Drive, Pembroke Pines. with a Tributes of a Lifetime Service at 7:00 PM. The Funeral Mass is Wednesday, April 6 at 11:00am at St David’s Catholic Church, 3900 S. University Drive in Davie, followed by graveside interment at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery, 11411 NW 25th Street in Doral.
For those unable to attend, the family is offering LIVE streaming of the Tributes of a Lifetime Service on Tuesday, April 6, 2022 at 7:00 PM. The link to attend LIVE is on the Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care Facebook page at: Hover & Click to the Right of the Arrow —> BOYD-PANCIERA FAMILY FUNERAL CARE
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Bob Traitz
April 2, 2022, 9:56 pm
Dear Mom,
We thank you for bringing us into this life to share all the wonderful and loving moments with you and Dad. As we grew up and started families of our own, you were always there for us and cared for and loved us and your grandchildren very much. You married Dad, a loving and caring man who, along with you Mom, nurtured this family to create who we are today while you both worked to establish our legacy.
We thank you Mom for all you are, and you will always be in our thoughts and in our hearts. You have touched so many people in your life and they were all better for knowing you.
Keeping with your wishes, dear Mom, we will fly Dad’s flag every day in his honor and we will keep the family together with love and companionship. We know that we will see you again in Heaven so we will look forward to enjoying your ever-loving presence in our lives again.
Watch over us, with Dad, as we will be carrying on our family legacy that you both established for us. We love you Mom and we’ll miss you. Give Dad a big hug for us!
Love,
Richard, Robert, Donna, and James
Frieda Bufano
April 3, 2022, 10:21 pm
I am so so sorry for the loss of your wonderful mom. May she Rest In Peace with my mom and all the beautiful moms in heaven . Sending you and your family prayers. I am truly sorry I never got to meet her but she did an amazing job raising her kids. Blessings to all.
Gloria
April 3, 2022, 10:48 pm
Our thoughts and prayers are with you the family she has left behind- but what a beautiful gift you guys had to have had such a wonderful mom and how very blessed she was to have had such great children to call her own. In short your family was greatly blessed. Mom is now watching over you – now mom and dad are together watching over you. Love Crawford
Bob Traitz
April 4, 2022, 12:14 am
Dearest mother !
We are heart broken that you have left our physical life but you will not
Ever leave our hearts and memories as they are burned into our souls for the rest of our lives !
We are relieved that you will not have to suffer any more !
You can now truly rest and enjoy the company of your loving husband our pop and your parents and brother who are welcoming you home !
I know you won’t keep Dad waiting too long as he’s been waiting a long time to ask you to dance !❤️
It will take time for our hearts to even begin to heal but our memories and love for you will only get stronger !
Until we see you and dad again , we will continue to spread the love , compassion and goodwill to others just like you instilled into us as the greatest mother any child could ever want !
Please give Dad 4 big hugs for each of his children , your first born (“King” Richard Kenneth ) who was your companion and took you around and to appointments with nothing but love and devotion. since dad passed 25 years ago and is my Rock as my older brother ! And your youngest James Michael who always cut your hair and told you how beautiful you were and called you his young lady and loved you so much and his wife Susan who made dinners for us all on any and every occasion and did your nails so beautifully, and your only Daughter Donna Lynn who spent every minute of the last two months since your 92 birthday caring for your medical needs and making sure you were taken to all your appointments as well as your recovery time and up to your last nite with us all ! another 6 for his grandchildren Jean Marie , Robert
Tyler, Patrick James , Michaela Mary
Mark Michael and of course our Michael Patrick ( Mikey) .
Your grandchildren will carry your love and legacy on!
They loved there Nana and will miss you in their lives as they grow and start their lives and with you in their
Hearts ♥️ and loving memories that they shared with you !🙏
Your Daughter in law Judy has prepared your eulogy and celebration of your life for all you admirers ,
family and friends to reflect on your wonderful caring life just like she did for our Dad when he left us for heaven ! And we have your nephew our cousin Kevin Eugene Mc Cann is solely representing the Philadelphia Family and will be here to see you off to your eternal life with his parents and sister Kathy ! So you see mom how many people you have touched in your 92 years ! We will miss you !
I miss you My Mama and will always remember your constant love for me and all of us !
Until we hug again I truly will miss you in my life ,
Love your thankful son Robert Steven ( Bob) ❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Claudia cid
April 5, 2022, 1:54 am
My dear Regina
My beloved pretty girl I will miss ur hugs and amazing kisses, oh how sweets were your visits how am going to miss you grabbing my cheeks and compliments on my hair your beloved family will always remain in my prayers you will truly be missed fly Sweet Ángel
Ellen Bethel
April 5, 2022, 3:44 am
Nana I cannot express the love I have for you and your family to have open up your hearts to show me what family is all about. Nana I will truly miss you love you much and I’m missing those preszel you use to make for me every Christmas and send with Michael and Donna for me thank you to snack on. while working at center for independent living And thanks for my BLT it was delicious. First and last time I ate turkey bacon. Thank you again. Now take your rest you with GOD and he loves you more he allowed you to touch so many in you different titles as a mother sister aunt friend neighbor companion grandma cousin friend wife etc. We will miss you.
Your Angel
Chrisandra Miller
April 5, 2022, 1:45 pm
RIC
4/5/2022
Sorry for the Loss of your Loving Mom.
I’m glad that I got to meet her she treated me just like as if I was one of her Sons. I
know she’ll be missed Deeply.
Love ❤️
Ric , Chrisandra and Timothy,Crystal
JUDY L BUTZBERGER
April 5, 2022, 6:07 pm
Your Mom was beloved by all and will surely be missed. She will always remain in our hearts as the matriarch of a wonderful family who will continue to care for and support each other through good times and bad. I’ll always remember that delicious banana bread and the gravy I could never quite figure out how to reproduce, even with the recipe. There was surely some special ingredient that came only from her touch. Thank you for letting me have a part in preparing for her services as a way to provide my own tribute. I am praying that you experience peace and strength in the days and weeks ahead, along with some joy as you reminisce about the many fun times you had together.
Love, Judy
Donna VADURRO
April 11, 2022, 3:07 am
Dear Mom,
Today would have been your 72nd Wedding Anniversary, so you know we were all together Rich, Rob, Jim Susie, Michael, Mark jr
Ms Bethel and myself.
We all toasted you and Dad
Hope you are both at peace.
It will truly take a long time to accept you are gone if ever, they say time heals a broken heart💔 but our hearts will never be whole again. You will always be a part of all of us and I will remember all our happy times together u teaching me how to cook at a young age and making me master your gravy and Italian dishes to a tee, all our shopping sprees and going out to breakfast or a later lunch and always centering it around our hour and a half to watch our 2 favorite soap operas together and you always saying I could write these stories and boy could u, and I would say that we can sit and relax and forget all our troubles and listen to theirs.
MOM I will miss everything about you, and I wish I could have done more, but it still wouldn’t have been enough.
I HAVE TO TRY TO ACCEPT THAT GOD needed u more.
Thank u for being a loving caring and gives us unconditional love always.
RIP MOM WITH DAD.
LOVE ALWAYS AND FOREVER, YOUR LOVING DAUGHTER DONNA
FEB 5TH 1930. APRIL 1ST 2022
Ms
Donna Vadurro
September 21, 2022, 5:41 am
Mom it has been 6 months since u left us so heartbroken there is a hole in our hearts that will never be filled again, time goes by but we will never heal or get over you being gone like I said we have to accept that God needed you more .
and that is hard to accept if ever. Miss u more than u will ever know. MAY YOU RIP MY BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING MOM, LOVE YOU ALWAYS AND FOREVER, YOUR LOVING DAUGHTER
DONNA.
Donna Vadurro
April 1, 2023, 5:19 am
Dear Mom,
It has been 1 yr right now when u left us, my heart along with Michael, Mark jr
Richard. Robert , Robert Tyler, Michaela Jimmy, Susie, Jean Marie, Patrick
Are broken a hole that will never heal it does not seem real that it has been 1 year.
WE will be coming to visit you and Dad in the next
Hours. You are missed so very much and the pain is still so raw , they say time heal but it will never will
seems to be harder as each day goes by. as I believe God needed u more I hope you are RIP MOM. The world is so much harder and with u not here makes it so much worse.. Miss you more than words can say. I LOVE YOU
AND ALWAYS WILL YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
LOVE YOUR DSUGHTHER
DONNA. 💔💔
Donna Vadurro
April 10, 2023, 1:55 pm
MOM,
HAPPY WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR 73RD ANNIVERSARY WITH DAD TODAY HOPE YOU ARE RIP WITH HIM.
TIME IS GOING BY SO QUICKLY, THIS WORLD IS A VERY SAD PLACE AND EVEN WORSE WITH U AND DAD NOT HERE.
LOVE AND MISS U ALWAYS
DONNA
APRIL 10TH,2023