Gina Diane Roop Reichenbach Tribute

Gina was born in Akron, Ohio, she only weighed 6lbs 11oz.  I remember when she was just delivered, the doctor laid her on my chest she was looking at me and I am thinking this is not my baby, her skin was so dark and she didn't look white.  Later on we would tease her about it.  When I took her home she only weighed 6lbs 5oz.  I was so afraid of crib death along with her being so small, she slept on my chest for 3 months. We really did some serious bonding. When  she got a little older her swing was her best friend.  She would swing most of the day, the back of her little head was bold from swinging so much. She was a good baby.  As she grew nd started crawling at 7 months, she watched her two older sisters using the potty chair.  She would crawl over and want to use it too.  Gina was out of diapers before she walked.  As she grow into a toddler, I already could see the love she had for her family. Gina was 18 months when her little brother Gary was born, she became a little mother, she watched over him all the time even when he was sleeping.  As Gary grew they were best friends. She would play with his cars and trucks and sometimes he would hold her dolls. She loved her little brother. When Gina was three when we moved into our new home.  One afternoon we were putting up the mailbox, when I looked down to see her stick a pebble up her nose. We were off to the hospital.  My  children grew to fast.  They all attended and graduated from Northwest Schools.  Gina was very active in sports, she loved softball. I remember her with her Dorothy Hamel haircut, on her knees in the dirt.  Her position was backstop and she was very good at it.  She was attendant to the Wriseling Queen and also a cheerleader. Gina was first runner up to Olde Canal Days Queen in 1985. In 1986 she was Olde Canal Days Queen.  She traveled to many other festables through out Ohio, respresenting Olde Canal Days Festiable.  She placed in 9th place out of 500 constestants.  Gina was an excellent student graduating with a 97.5 average. We were very proud of our little girl.  While in high school she me Mark Rechenbach.  She and Mark were maried 1988. They lived in Canal Fulton for a short time, Mark when to work for American Airlines and soon was transfered to Raleigh, NC. Gina's degree was in Retail, but she went in mortage world, she went to work for Unicore Mortage, as an Account Executive were she won numerious awards. Life was great, Gina and Mark had built a new home, happy years when by.

They decided to build a bigger house for a future family.  Then the unexpected happened. Gina was diagnosed with a left frontal astrocytoma in 1998.  Gina had to have surgery, to remove the tumor, unfortunity the doctors were unable to remove the entire tumor they were able to remove 3/4th. And what we didn't except it would be miginate.  After multiple treatments of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the remaining tumor had been contained. God was kind enought to let us enjoy her for 10 more years.

Gina needed warm enviroment so they moved to Port St Lucie Florida, after being there for a few years her MRI showed the tumor was back.  She was transfered back to Duke where they were able to get her back on her feet. When she returned to Florida and started chemotherapy treatments, her condition started deteriorating.  Gina's birthday was September 30th. She passed away October 1,2008, with her mother and her husband by her bedside.  I guess I was in shock after that.  My daughter gone.  I really didn't know who I was or what I would do without Gina, she wasn't just my daugher, she was my best friend, my support when I had a bad day and I really looked up to her for advice.  Gina held our family together.  We will never be the same.  Love you, Honey