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Music in Schools Initiative

In Memoriam: Dr. Regina Warner

Dr. Regina Lilly-Warner, a long-time advocate for music in the public schools of New Haven and beyond, passed away on Monday, January 17, 2011. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Charles E. Warner, who served over three decades in the New Haven Public Schools before his retirement in 2010, and their three children.

Regina Warner earned degrees from Fisk University and Columbia University, among others. She worked as an educator in Connecticut for 38 years, 32 of those in the New Haven Public Schools. Most recently, she was the Supervisor of Music, Library Media and Advanced Placement Programs. She studied piano, organ, viola, and voice, and at Fisk was a member of the renowned Jubilee Singers.

Her tireless work in the New Haven Public Schools included ongoing collaborations with the Music in Schools Initiative at the Yale School of Music. She was a guest at both the 2007 and 2009 Symposia on Music in Schools. In 2001, the Yale School of Music honored her with the Cultural Leadership Citation in recognition of her achievements in music education. Warner has received many other awards over the years for her work in the community.

A funeral service will be held at Battell Chapel (corner of Elm and College Streets, New Haven) on Saturday, January 29, 2011. Visiting hours will be from 9–11 am, organizational tributes from 11–1 pm, and the service will begin at 1 pm. Donations can be made to the Dr. Regina M. Lilly-Warner Scholarship Fund.