Dr. Brigitta O’Regan

“Death . . . brings us into absolute and passionate presence with all that is here, that is natural, that is love. Death stands before eternity and says YES.” — Rainer Maria Rilke 

Our mother, Dr. Brigitta O’Regan, passed away embraced by loved ones on January 14th, 2025. Mum, Grandma, we thank you for all you have given to our family: the love of your life, Eamonn; your children, Rory (Tina), Martina (Paul), Karen and Annette; and your grandchildren, Mirin, Seamus, Erin and Torin. With great love you showed us how to appreciate life’s wonders: the sun on our skin, a thriving garden, ripe mangoes, Lac Le Jeune, a wild sea, birds in spring and autumn trees, the Okavango Delta, literature, music and art from around the world, a good Riesling, unplanned adventures and laughing with people of all ilk!

Mum, you were a vibrant presence in many lives, welcoming family, friends and strangers into your home to share delicious meals, animated conversations and sometimes singing or dancing in the kitchen! You loved exchanging ideas with people in diverse communities. From Germany to Canada, Jamaica, Ghana, Nigeria, Trinidad, Papua New Guinea and Botswana, you celebrated difference and demanded social justice. A much-loved human rights advocate, feminist and educator, you cherished learning and working with others to speak beside, not for, marginalized voices. Whether establishing a tuberculosis shelter in Gabane, fighting South African apartheid in Gaborone, working with Indigenous communities in Iqaluit or teaching in schools and universities from Koforidua to Kamloops and Weimar, you affirmed that love and compassion are the only truths. Your legacy lives on in us, who love you always. Nichts ohne Gott. Dia leat.