One of my favorite pictures of my pops and his wife.

Hey What’s up Nation.  As you all know I was MIA last week dealing with the loss of a loved one.  On Saturday, 7/23/11 WE all lost my step mother Regina Diane Morris Perez.  I say we because to a large extent, had it not been for her…WE wouldn’t be speaking right now.  She was the catalyst for Highbrid Outdoor which is now Highbrid Media, the backbone behind the Highbrid empire.  She not only encouraged us to start the business but on faith, became our very first client.

As we’ve grown in an age of 50% divorce rates the term “STEP” mom or dad has become common vernacular for us.  Its often associated with an individual whose less than the original…and that’s why I’ve never used it.  Don’t get me wrong, my mom is irreplaceable.  The greatest person in the world.  But God blessed me with two wonderful women.  When she was here with us in the physical she was always REGINA to me.  I know she hated it but she was much more than a mom to me, she was my friend, my inspiration and the ULTIMATE supporter.

Ask anyone at Highbrid about Regina and they’ll tell you a story about how she helped them in some way shape or form.  So as I delivered some reflections at her memorial on Sunday.  I talked about the news and how after ever tragic story they broadcast we get a slew of family and neighbors who go on camera talking about “how good this person was or how loving and giving and never had a problem with anyone.”  BS!  Regina on the other hand…I couldn’t even say those things about because they were too cliche and would disrespect her memory. She was a saint.  She helped homeless get jobs, gave second chances to ex convicts and well helped launch a Nation and for that I am forever grateful.  Here’s a copy of the eulogy so you can get a small glimpse into the amazing woman that I knew and will always miss.

Regina Diane Morris Perez, affectionately known as Gigi, was born in Niagara Falls on February 8, 1955 to John and Ozella Morris.  Regina had a strong commitment to education and began her studies at Prince of Peace in Niagara Falls and obtained her master’s degree in Public Health and her MBA simultaneously at Columbia University.

Regina served as Vice President of Facility Contracting and Marketing for Royal Health Care, LLC. She worked for AmeriChoice Corporation, served as Chief Operating Officer of the NYC Health & Hospital Corporation, the largest public hospital system in the country.  Regina also served as Chief Operating Officer of Healthcare Management Alternatives of Philadelphia and a NYC Assistant Commissioner of Sanitation under Mayor Edward Koch and the Director of Operations for New York City under Mayor David Dinkins.

On August 24, 2004 Regina married her long-time friend and love, Carlos Francisco Eugenio Perez.  Regina and Carlos shared everything.  Together, they enjoyed traveling, meeting new people, savoring new experiences and conquering new frontiers.  However, despite all their various conquests, the place Regina loved most was home.  Together, Regina and Carlos enjoyed quiet nights at their Guilford, Connecticut home, which they built together and which served as the location for their wedding. Regina looked forward to planning for and entertaining family and close friends at their recently renovated Upper West Side apartment, a project which Regina poured her heart into over the last year.

Regina’s smile and tenacity were her trademarks. Her generous spirit, quick wit and infectious laugh will forever ring in our hearts.  Her passion for family and friends created a tight-knit network of loved ones for whom she would do anything, and in return, she received unconditional love and heartfelt loyalty. She was an avid reader and was a member of many book clubs, through which she could share her views with fellow readers.

Regina loved life and worked hard, but also played hard.  Most importantly, Regina was a God-fearing woman who lived by the words of the Gospel and attended church.  She lived knowing that a greater life begins at the end of one’s earthly journey. We are confident she was met at the Pearly Gates by all of her loving family members who preceded her to Heaven.

Regina is survived by her beloved husband Carlos Perez; her parents John and Ozella Morris; three siblings: Monyuette Coplin, wife of the late Jimmy Coplin, Sharon Morris Perkins and Michael Morris and his wife Michele Morris nee Lowery; three step-children, Juan Carlos Perez Dr. Nikki Perez and Little JayCee Settles Perez; numerous nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly; and a multitude of other relatives and friends whose lives she touched in a very special way.

Regina will forever live in our hearts!