Reina Alice Lamb, 87

November 21, 2017

Reina Alice Lamb, 87, of Lancaster PA, left us in her own fighting style after 6 years of care at Brethren Village Nursing Home. She is survived by her daughter Linda Marcks and granddaughter Catherine—as well as her beloved extended Lamb family and her cherished friend, Hermann Heise, whom she considered a son. Reina was born in Bogota, Columbia in 1930 and was the daughter of architect Walter Chamberlain Lamb and Alicia Gonzalez Lamb and sister to Walter Lamb.

Traveling between Columbia and Panama, Reina was an avid adventurer who spent her childhood creating a series of comical memories accompanied by her beloved brother. Whether riding burros, interacting with local villagers or nearly drowning in the river— these two were inseparable and constantly in search of their next escapade.

Reina and her family moved to the United States when she was a teenager and here she cultivated a life of integrity and compassion. She married young to Russel Holman and had her only daughter Linda. Shortly after, she divorced and chose to stay in Miami, FL in search for work. After her father’s death, Reina seemed to be innately prepared to make sacrifices in her own life to benefit her loved ones. Despite lacking a nursing degree which was standard for stewardesses at the time—Reina was hired by Pan American Airlines in 1951 because she was bilingual. Reina was relocated to NYC while her mother Alicia stayed in Miami to raise Linda. Reina’s career with Pan Am allowed her life’s driving force be the wanderlust she inherently possessed. When based in New York she traveled from Japan to China and as far as Australia. While in Miami, she regularly flew throughout South and Central America and from London, she traveled across Europe, the Middle East, India and Russia. Pan-Am attendants spent 5-7 days in each destination which allowed Reina the time to immerse herself in the culture and history of every location. Her passengers were some of the biggest names in the day, and she always had stories to tell of Frank Sinatra, Sofia Loren, Bob Hope, Paul Newman and even the Beatles. Other stories include assisting in the delivery of multiple babies on board and even chasing after the first known streaker on a Pan-Am flight.

After 39 years with Pan-Am, Reina retired in 1990. She began a new chapter of her life and decided to move in with her daughter Linda and son in-law Richard where she stayed to help raise her only grandchild, Catherine. She continued to travel the world following Richard’s business schedule and cherished the opportunity to teach Catherine all she had learned over the years.

Reina was witty, sophisticated and fiercely independent. She was slick enough to cheat her way through every family card game and always cried when she saw the Phantom of the Opera onstage. She set a bold and courageous example for the women in her family and like her name suggests— she really was the queen. Reina enjoyed only the finest champagne— as if every day deserved a special toast and celebration.

She is preceded in death by her brother Walter and beloved dog Apollo— both of whom we assume met her at the Gates.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks you send contributions and donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, another passion Reina believed in.