Nicholas Rego

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Nicholas Rego on February 24, 2025, at the age of 95 in Rockville, Maryland. After a courageous battle with cancer, he passed peacefully in his sleep and was surrounded by loved ones in prayer. 

Nicholas Rego was born on August 1, 1929, in Bhurulia, Nagori Mission, Bangladesh. He was the sixth child of Joseph and Maria Rego. Upon his father’s sudden death in 1934, Nicholas began working as an errand boy in his village to provide for himself and his family. At 11 years old, he traveled to Calcutta and New Delhi on his own in search of work. Eventually, Nicholas worked his way up in the kitchens of various grand hotels and became a professional chef. 

In 1952, he married the late Teresa Rego in Bhurulia, Nagori Mission, Bangladesh. Together, they lovingly raised nine children: seven sons and two daughters. In the early 1960s, Nicholas began working as a chef for the United States Consulate. During the Bangladesh Liberation War and Genocide, his work required him to travel through enemy territory constantly. His sharp wit and bravery helped him navigate through various checkpoints: his self-taught Urdu allowed him to talk his way through Pakistani checkpoints and his self-taught Hindi, Punjabi, and Gujarati allowed him to talk through Indian ones. At the height of the war, Nicholas worked for the Consulate by day and personally cooked for and served freedom fighters by night. 

Through his employment at the Consulate, he immigrated to the United States in 1972 and became one of the first Bangladeshi Christians to immigrate to America. He settled in Washington, DC and continued his career as a personal chef where life took him on many adventures, like lobster fishing in Martha’s Vineyard for the late Katharine Graham. He later joined the Cosmos Club in 1979, opening the doors for the growing Bangladeshi Christian community in the area to have work opportunities. 

In 1980, Nicholas proudly sponsored his family’s immigration to the United States. Over the next decade, he brought his wife and children to the United States and bought a home in Hyattsville, MD where he hosted countless gatherings full of good food, music and laughter. In so doing, he fulfilled his lifelong endeavor to create a better life for his family and bring them back together once and for all. Nicholas retired in 1994 after 60 years of hard work. One of his favorite pastimes was recounting what he called his "history" to his family after a glass (or two) of red wine. 

Nicholas was known for being faithful, brave, kind, selfless, clever, and quite simply put: a good man. His relentless dedication to provide for his family riddled his life with challenges but no matter the hardship, Nicholas persisted and always found joy and humor in life. His simplest pleasures were fishing from sunrise to sunset, watching football/nature documentaries, and playing cards well into the night. His life was a testament to his unwavering trust in God as he called upon his faith every step of the way. Nicholas believed so fiercely in the power of prayer and lived each day filled with God’s grace, a grace that sustained him until his last breath. 

Nicholas will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered by his family and friends. He is survived by his children: Santi, Santosh (Lily), Charles (Monica), Ratna (Sujit), Kennedy (Noreen), Dominic (Lata), and Vincent (Katrina); daughters-in-law Balorin and Nioty; his grandchildren: Kalyani (Shekhor), Ripon (Mousumi), Jhumur (Rupon), Nelson (Kumkum), Jessica, Jennifer, Laura, Angelica (Warren), Mark, Nancy, Juthica, Elora (Thomas), Branden, Alicia, Ellen, Erin, Estelle, Lorraine, Adrian, Jacob, Grace, Cynthia, Alvin, Alina, Emilene, Gregory, Gail, Ariana, Evans, Garret, Andrea, and Violet; and his great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Maria; siblings; his loving wife of 57 years, Teresa; and sons, Ronjon and Henry.