Ruth A. (Anderson) Rego, 82, of New Bedford passed away peacefully with her family by her side on July 2, 2025 at Sacred Heart Home in New Bedford, MA.

She was the wife of the late Manuel Rego, Jr.

Born in New Bedford, daughter of the late Carl R. and Alice E. (Blake) Anderson, she lived in New Bedford all of her life.

She was a lifelong professional, award-winning artist and owner of Rego Design Studio.  Her passions were calligraphy, jewelry and watercolor painting.  Many of her paintings included nautical themes from the New Bedford waterfront area, as well as abstracts and still lifes. In her early art career, she was an illustrator creating the business advertisements that appeared in the New England Yellow Pages. Those artistic skills and passion have been passed on to her descendants and are thriving well into the next generation.

She enjoyed the ocean very much and instilled that love in all of her children and grandchildren. As a young adult, she was a lifeguard and swimming instructor at the YWCA in New Bedford, MA. Another big passion was books and reading. She was a voracious reader and loved libraries. She worked for a time as the librarian at Carney Academy in New Bedford, MA. She also worked as an administrator in the Risk Management Department at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford, MA.

She is survived by her 4 sons, Michael T. Rego and his wife Anna M. (Petrick) Rego of Southport, ME, Robert J. Rego and his wife Kristin M. (Nicewicz) Rego of Marion, MA, James A. Rego and partner Kelly Winterson of New Bedford, MA and Christopher M. Rego and partner Arianna Bernard of Mendon, MA; her brother-in-law, Stephen Baker of Brewster, MA; 10 grandchildren, Emily Ruth (Rego) Brauneis and her husband James Brauneis of Amherst, NH, Michael T. Rego, Jr. and his wife Jenna Miller of Lakewood, CO, Mary M. Rego of Boylston, MA, Nicholas Rego and fiancée Aly Trapp of Allen Park, Michigan, Janey Rego and her fiancé Jason Perez of Plymouth, MA, Kristen (Rego) Fein and her husband Marc Fein of Canton, MA, Thomas J. Rego and his fiancée Heather Macedo of Fairhaven, MA, Erin Rego of New Bedford, MA, Avery Rego and Aubrey Rego of New Bedford, MA; 2 great grandchildren, Zoe Fein and Ezra Fein of Canton, MA. She was the grandmother of the late Andrew Rego and Alex Rego of Marion, MA and the sister of the late Susan E. Baker of Brewster, MA.

Her funeral service with burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made by donations to the Fort Taber~Fort Rodman Historical Association at https://forttaber.org/make-a-contribution/