Reginald Wilbur Gaskin, 72, manager of area cemeteries
He helped families cope with the pain of losing loved ones
REGGIE GASKIN found his life's calling in a cemetery.
What Reggie found in his 44 years as a manager of area cemeteries was a way of helping people, people enduring one of the most difficult times of their lives.
"He helped countless families through the process of laying their own loved ones to rest, and he always did it with a smile," his family said in a tribute.
"Reggie understood that death is a part of life, but that this part of the journey brings pain to those who loved the deceased. Reggie spent a lifetime easing that pain and providing support to all in need."
Reginald Wilbur Gaskin, a devoted churchman who sang on his church's choir, a loving father and grandfather whose life was full of laughter, died July 12 of natural causes. He was 72 and lived in the Northeast.
Reggie, who had studied landscape design in college, began his cemetery employment at West Laurel Hill in Bala Cynwyd.
He went on to manage the cemeteries at Chelten Hills, Washington Lane and Woolston Avenue; 20th Century Vault Co. in Glenside; White Chapel Gardens in Feasterville; and finally Mount Peace, 31st Street and Lehigh Avenue, where he remained until his health began to fail.
A deeply religious man, Reggie didn't miss an opportunity to talk to bereft families about his faith, "by letting them know there is still life after death," his family said.
"For the genuine compassion Reggie showed, the financial assistance he provided to families in need, the love that he had in his heart for people, he will always be remembered," his family said.
Reggie didn't just read the Bible, he studied it. He could often be found at his kitchen table or in his favorite recliner, Bible at hand. He marked passages in the book that he found inspiring, using different colored markers depending on their value to him.
In 2006, Reggie met the "love of his life" - Rosalind Griffin, and they were married on Sept. 26, 2009.
Reggie loved the movies, and he would drag Rosalind to every new film that came out. It didn't matter to him that she usually fell asleep. His favorite actor was Denzel Washington.
"Reggie would say, 'That's a bad boy!' every time he watched his movies," his family said.
Reggie also loved music. Among his favorites was gospel singer James Cleveland, and he also dug R&B and soul singers John Legend and Raphael Sadiq.
Reggie had a robust singing voice of his own and graced the men's choir at his church, True Light Fellowship, with his singing.
"Reggie was known for the laughter he brought to life with his funny jokes and infamous sayings," his family said.
He was born in Philadelphia to Sarah and Wilbur Gaskin. He attended Roosevelt Elementary School and graduated from Germantown High School. He went on to South Carolina State University, where he majored in physical education. In 1982, he attended Temple University, where he studied landscape design.
Besides his wife, he is survived by his mother, Sarah Gaskin; a daughter, Leah Gaskin; two stepdaughters, Marcella Forrest and Jamilla Wise; and six grandchildren.
Services: 10 a.m. Saturday at True Life Fellowship Church, 6400 Ardleigh St. Friends may call at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Longview Cemetery, Rockledge.