FALMOUTH, MASS. — Regina “Gina” McGrory, beloved wife of Ray McGrory, passed away suddenly on May 2 in Falmouth, Mass., while pricing and packing for the upcoming Brimfield Antiques Shows. The antiques business suffered a great loss with her passing.
Gina was born in Dorchester, Mass., on February 8, 1948, on the kitchen floor of the family home. She was from a large military family and her father’s service brought her to Germany, where she would spend her formative years. Gina loved sharing stories of her time spent there, painting a picture of adventure, resilience and discipline that stayed with her throughout her life.
At the wedding of a friend, she met the love of her life, Ray, known by all as Mac. They were soon married and became inseparable for the next 55 years.
Gina was a very devoted mother and grandmother, and was a frequent volunteer, supporter and attendee of all their events. She greatly enjoyed celebrating the exploits and accomplishments of her grandchildren. She was a talented baker with an extraordinary gift for creating beautiful confections for birthdays, christenings, showers and weddings.
Her love for antiquing was a passion she shared with her husband. Together they loved getting out on the road exploring and picking at antique shops and estate sales. We first met them when they visited our shop about 30 years ago and we liked them right away. Gina was an old school non-nonsense dealer who loved country items. She always told it like it is. She believed in hard work and a straightforward approach to business.
They started to visit our shop at least once a week and always found something to buy. She would consult with Mac before the purchase, but it was very clear that Gina called the shots. This hobby grew into a thriving business for them. They became fixtures as exhibitors in Brimfield and numerous shows on Cape Cod. She was loved and respected by all the dealers and customers she interacted with. She and her husband for many years had booths at Acushnet River Antiques Center, and previously at Maypops in Sandwich, Mass.
For about 30 years, we ran several high-end on-site tag sales each year. These were big sales with a lot of labor. She offered to help us set up and price. She always refused pay. She just wanted to be there in the middle of the action. There are very few dealers left in the business like her, and she will be missed by all who knew her.
Frank & Diane McNamee
Marion Antiques
