Rest In Peace, Bingo Mary

If there's a Bingo Hall in Heaven, then Mary Regalbuto has the best seat in the house.

Regalbuto, affectionately known as 'Bingo Mary' because of her patronage of Foxwoods Resort Casino's Bingo Hall for more than two decades, died April 7 at the age of 104.

She celebrated her 100th birthday at the Bingo Hall in October of 2008. A music teacher my trade, "She played a few of her favorite tunes on the Grand Piano to the 1,200 guests in attendance."

Mary, the daughter of the late Carmelo and Eleanara Regalbuto, was born Oct. 27, 1908, in Groton.

She taught in the Stonington school system for four years, in Westerly for 40 years, in New York with her late sister Victoria for 10 years, and also taught instruments in Harbor School in New London for 14 years. She wrote many compositions for various instruments. One was a march dedicated and named "Onward Harbor" in honor of Harbor School. The orchestra performed it in the annual Harbor School Festival held in Buell Hall.

Mary and her violin ensemble played on WJZ and many radio stations in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. Her orchestras entertained every week during the summer at various nursing homes and at Ocean Beach on the boardwalk every summer for 20 years.

Her family will receive relatives and friends from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home, 84 Montauk Ave., New London. Guests are asked to gather for a Mass of Christian Burial at 9 a.m. on Saturday in St. Joseph Church, 17 Squire St., New London. Entombment will be in the family mausoleum in St. Mary Cemetery.