Robin “Regan” Neville Stewart
July 17, 1952 - April 28, 2026
Like the last note of a concert drifting off into the warm summer air, Robin “Regan” Neville Stewart has left this earth. Her song will play on forever in the hearts of her family and friends. On a scorching hot July 17, in 1952, Robin was born to Maurice Neville and Helen Davis Neville in Wilmington, Delaware. She was a shy child; introspective and imaginative from a young age. She loved singing, playing with her dolls, picking sour cherries in her backyard and then baking them into pies with her mother, and modeling for her father’s paintings. She had a small wading pool in the summer she enjoyed with her brother, Jeff, although with him being 8 years older, he hung over the sides but loved spending time there with her nonetheless. In the winter, they built snowmen, and Robin had Jeff by her side to reach the top and place the snowmen’s heads on top of their sparkling bodies. Even as a small child, music was a part of her soul.
While she was in high school, she and a couple of friends gave each other nicknames from Shakespeare’s King Lear. She was named Regan and it stuck as her stage name for the rest of her life. Regan became more than her stage name, it was a moniker by which many of her friends would know her, without ever realizing it was not her given name.
Watching Peter, Paul and Mary, she learned to play the guitar and started performing in local coffeehouses. She joined a bluegrass band, Southbound, as the lead singer and began writing her own songs with beautiful skill that she revisited time and again through her life. After Robin graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1970, she spent a lot of time in Newark, where she met lifelong friends and continued to sing and write songs.
In 1978, she became a mother with the arrival of her daughter Beth, who she lovingly called Bethie. Three years later, she received a great surprise when she went to deliver her second child and came home with, not one, but two baby boys, Josh and Matt. Her devotion to her children was unwavering, and they always looked forward to being with her. She created unique opportunities to be connected to them by doing things like volunteering in the elementary school library, where they relished the opportunity to have her nearby while they were at school. She spent their entire childhood putting them first, creating magical holidays and making the best of everything. Life wasn’t always easy but she had a knack for putting the fun in dysfunctional.
Robin met her husband, Nick, while visiting France with her daughter in 1997. They started chatting at an ice breaker dinner in Trouville-sur-Mer on Bastille Day and took a walk around the beach and down the quaint streets with fireworks going off around them. They married in April 1999. They enjoyed trips to New England, Skyline Drive and Australia to visit the Stewart family. Over the next decade she welcomed her children’s spouses into their family with open arms. She never held back her praise for her family and her pride in her children and grandchildren, often saying she didn’t know how she got so lucky.
After her children were grown, she dove back into her music. She had always continued to write and play music but at home or with friends. But after attending a reunion of the band Snake Grinder and the Shredded Field Mice, a flame had been rekindled. She started performing again and started a new band, The Jane Dean Band. Her Fridays became her cherished “studio” day. She put out two albums, reminding us all that you are never too grown-up to chase your dreams.
The crescendos of her life were those times she spent traveling, treasuring her family and adoring life’s simple pleasures. The smell of lilacs, dogwood trees, gardening, a snowy day, the ‘93 Phillies, the annual Memorial Day party at the Bailey’s, admiring the night sky, especially the moon, attending Rickie Lee Jones concerts, collecting “treasures” and rocks, a juicy ripe summer peach, Christmas festivities, a good cup of coffee, bird watching, and her pets; each one brought her tremendous joy. She loved to laugh and be silly with her family. If there was a wild hat or wacky headpiece to be worn, she put it on without question. She made delicious homemade soups and cookies. She was always late and was lovingly referred to as Snuffy. She could do the best witch’s cackle of all time. She would break into song for any word you said. She was the maker of a melody of merriness.
Robin will carry on in the hearts of her family. She leaves behind her husband, Colin Nicholas Stewart; her older brother, Jeffrey (Rosemary) Neville; her children Beth (Wayne) Lineberry, Josh (Maggie) Thompson, and Matt (Lindsay) Thompson; her grandchildren, Alexandra Lineberry, George Thompson, Nora Thompson, Quinn Thompson, and Maisie Thompson; and a host of friends.
To honor Robin’s passion for music, the family welcomes contributions to Save the Music by clicking here, in lieu of flowers.
A visitation for family and friends will be held from 10:00 am until 11:30 am on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 West Park Place, Newark, DE, where a memorial service will begin at 11:30 am. Inurnment will be held privately. All are welcome to join the family at the Blue Crab Grill, 322 Suburban Drive, Newark, DE 19711, after the service for food and fellowship at 12:30 pm.
Christine
What a wonderful, beautiful life! Her music will always play on. With love and prayers.
Ziggy Antonik
Was just watching a video of her LAST night 🥺 I lived in Kirkwood during her reign as The Mistress. Our birthday’s 6 days apart, always made for a fun filled week!!!!
*** She brought my Texas jore to life one year: “Why did the chicken cross the road? To show the Armadillo it COUKD be done”! She made it into a shadow box!!!
What an amazing woman who showed life ….how it SHOULD be done💞💗
Nicole Hawks
Sending love & light to her family and friends. I will never forget her performances at the Blue Crab Grill. Her voice always stopped me dead in my tracks. One of my favorite local performers. May she rest in peace.
Kristen Johnson
What a beautiful statement about your mom’s life and contributions. I only knew about her through Nick with whom I worked at Wilmington Trust, but I know how special she was through him. My deepest condolences to all of you and may the memories you shared bring you comfort in the days ahead. Nick, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Carl Goldstein
Regan was the heart and soul of our bluegrass band Southbound. It was the seventies and unlike today, a female lead singer in bluegrass was a rarity. But Regan dove into it completely! That voice and energy was compelling. The band became fast friends. We held a weekly spot at one of Philly’s more renowned venues – Grendal’s Lair, we appeared on Philly’s leading folk program – the Gene Shay show on WMMR, went on tour which included the Town Crier – an important New York State club and performed for the 1976 US bicentennial. All that and more was in large part because of that wonderful voice. She was just a wonderful and greatly talented person. She will be sorely missed.
John Bailey
Had the pleasure of knowing Regan for many years. She was one of my wife Beth’s best friends and our families became forever intertwined. She had the voice of an angel and a loving, beautiful heart. She did an amazing job raising a wonderful family. So happy to have had her friendship for all these years and so very sad to say goodbye from this mortal world. I know she will continue with her heavenly melodies. God bless you and your wonderful family! Beat Bailey and his family.
Natasha Ortega
My deepest condolences to Nick, her children, and all who loved her. Though I only knew her through Nick during our wonderful conversation on the bus ride home from work, it was always clear how deeply she was loved and how special she was. She will be remembered as a kind, compassionate, and loving soul whose love for her family was unwavering. May she rest in peace, and may her family find strength and comfort in the love she leaves behind.
Lynn Carbone
Our deepest sympathies. When Regan was at the post office in Kirkwood, she was quite the interesting person. My husband had a PO box there and would visit it almost daily. She would regail him with stories of her children and life. At the time, I had no idea she was my second cousin, until my husband recognized her in a photo from my Aunts birthday party. May she rest in peace.
Lynn and Jason
Heather Stewart
So very sorry to hear of the untimely loss of Robin. My love and thoughts are with you Nick and your family.
Mike Fishef
I’m so sorry that I will not be attending, but my heartfelt blessings on everyone that grieves for her, and keeps Regan in their heart.
George Wolkind
Our love and support for her family…We light a candle for a dear friend, a mother and an artist that we will always remember. She is a light that made us happy when she sang. She is still singing but to a much wider audience. Do angels sing? Of course they do cause she sang to all of us. Many years ago Beth and Maureen introduced me to her at a party where they were all singing. I was a mess then…broken a bit by life that got out of control. Their voices together offered me a life raft , life saver, for me to grab hold of. I remember Regan singing one of her songs. it was so beautiful that being a little high I put my head under her arm holding her guitar to get closer to her music! She did not mind. Just kept playing like I was not even there…a day I will always remember. Her music heals. I left her a better person that day. Shalomaloha
William E. Thompson
I first met Regan when I was seventeen. Through all of the evolutions of hers and my family since 1971, we have remained connected – to greater and lesser degrees. Regan is one of the All-Stars of my incarnation. I am deeply grateful to have known her for all of these decades – through thick and thin. And . . . I wasn’t quite ready for her to leave. Love always.
Adrianne Mast
Regan has been in my life for as long as I can remember. She played music with my dad and everytime she’d be at his studio my day got brighter. I can’t express in words how much I adored and admired her but I know she left this world knowing she was endlessly loved by all.