Dr. Regan was born in Ripon, Wisconsin on May 1st, 1936 and moved with his family to Cambridge City, Indiana in 1941.  His entrepreneurial spirit and sedulous nature showed early. When twelve years old, he started his own ice cream sales business which lasted four years until he could get a work permit allowing him to earn seventy-five cents an hour at Miller Dairy. At the same time, he was delivering newspapers for the Palladium-Item of Richmond, Indiana. He was graduated from Lincoln High School in 1954 and worked for seven years in the summer months for the James Sweet Bridge Construction Company to earn money for attending Indiana University-Bloomington and Indianapolis. While in Bloomington, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega social fraternity and also met his future wife, Delene Anne Smith of Huntington, Indiana, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma social sorority. They were married June 14, 1958 at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Huntington. In 1957, he entered Indiana University School of Dentistry [IUSD] graduating with a DDS degree in 1961. He was a member of Psi Omega dental fraternity.  Following graduation from IUSD, he established a dental practice at 650 Cherry Street in Huntington. In 1962, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served two years as a Captain in the United States Army Dental Corps at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri.  Returning to Huntington in 1964, he reestablished his practice at 650 Cherry Street for 59 years before retiring in 2020.

Dr. Regan remains involved in numerous organizations locally, state wide, nationally and internationally. Internationally, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Academy of General Dentistry [AGD] representing Indiana and Ohio in 1974. The AGD represents family dentists in the United States and Canada and, also, has other international members. It is the second largest dental organization in the United States with over 45,000 members. In 1978, his pertinacity got him elected to the office of Vice President of the AGD after only being a member of the organization for seven years. He became President-Elect in 1979 and served as President in1980-1981. During that three-year period, he traveled extensively, visiting 49 of the 50 States plus Canada and Mexico representing the organization while his wife, Delene Anne, was home busy taking care of seven kids and typing speeches. As AGD Vice President, President-Elect and President, Dr. Regan was known for ardently supporting general dentistry, instigating the AGD'S  million dollar institutional advertising program and establishing AGD'S membership on the American National Standards Committee MD 156. One of Dr. Regan's highlights of that time was giving the Convocation address to the graduating class at the University of Dalhousie in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also served as Convocation Chairman for the AGD in 1993 in San Diego, California. He became a Fellow of the Academy of Dentistry International in 1978.

Nationally, Dr. Regan was the only practicing dentist serving from 1980 to 1990 on the thirty-three member American National Standards Committee MD156 [ANSC], which sets standards for all dental products in this country. He also served on two ANSC MD 156 sub-committees during this period. He was a member of the American Dental Association [ADA], the Mid-West Society of Periodontology, The American Society of Preventive Dentistry, The American Analgesia Society, The Chicago Dental Society, The Council of National Board of Dental Examiners, the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped and an Emeritus life member of the American Association of Endodontists [AAE]. He was one of four presenters at the National ADA Conference on Sealants in 1981 and served on two AAE national committees.

He was also one of four presenters at the AAE Opening Session of their annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona in 1982. It is a rare occurrence for a general dentist to be one of the headline speakers at the opening session of a specialty organization. Following his presentation, Dr. Regan was asked by Dr. Frank Weine, Professor and Chairman of the Post Graduate Endodontic Department at Loyola University and internationally recognized author, researcher, and lecturer on endodontics, to be a guest speaker for his graduate students. Dr. Regan considers it to be the highest professional compliment of his career. He was later able to thank Dr. Weine by presenting him with an Honorary AGD Fellowship at the AGD annual meeting in Baltimore, MD.  For 38 years, Dr. Regan was an evaluator of dental products for Clinical Research Associates [CRA] in Provo, Utah. Dr. Gordon Christensen, DDS, PhD, one of the most highly respected and well-known dentists in the world, directs CRA.  In 1984, Dr. Christensen called Dr. Regan and asked if he would be willing to come to Provo to train for a research project along with twenty-six other dentists he had selected from the United States and Canada. Of all the dentists Dr. Christensen knew, nationally and internationally, it was a distinct honor to be asked by him. The research involved providing an innovated new type restoration, pro bono, to several of Dr. Regan's patients in Huntington. This required several hours of treatment after regular office hours and submitting multiple photographic and impression records taken with and without the rubber dam to CRA. This record taking extended over five years. Although it was a huge honor to be recognized and selected by Dr. Christensen, the research project's time and expenses extracted a pound of flesh in return!  In addition, Dr. Regan has published two original peer reviewed research articles in The Journal of the American Dental Association entitled, "Roentgenographic and dissection measurements of alveolar crest height" and "Evaluation of periapical radiolucencies found in cadavers." The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry published his peer reviewed clinical article "A simplified procedure for bilateral splinting of abutment teeth." The Journal of the Indiana Dental Association has published his articles, "Dr. Otto U. King: Small-Town Dentist, World-Wide Impact," "Write It Down," and "An Historical Review and Contribution to the History of Blade Implants."He holds a United States Patent for an endodontic file design.

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State-wide, Dr. Regan is a member of the Indiana Dental Association [IDA] and the Isaac Knapp District Dental Society. He was a clinician at two IDA state meetings. In 1969, he was the youngest dentist ever chosen by his peers to serve on the five member Indiana State Board of Dental Examiners.  He was also a Faculty Practicioner for Indiana University School of Dentistry.   For years, he provided free dental care for many patients through the IDA program, Donated Dental Services. In 1971, he instigated the founding of the Indiana Academy of General Dentistry [IAGD] and has served as its Secretary-Treasure and President. He was a member of the Harry J. Healey Endodontic Study Club for many years and is a current member of the Indiana Endodontic Association. Dr. Regan was also a member of the Governor's Welfare Advisory Committee and the Indiana Association for Retarded Children [IARC] where he was a member of the Board of Directors and also served as State Membership Chairman.

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Locally, Dr. Regan was very extensively involved in the creation and early years of a new organization serving the handicapped, which is now called Pathfinder Services. He is one of its four founders, along with Gene Snowden, David Brewer and Royce Ruckman.  He was elected to serve as the new organization's first President in 1966. That year saw the Moose Lodge March yield over 1000 new members, the establishment of a sheltered workshop and the Village School among other milestones.  At that time it was called the Huntington County Association for Retarded Children [HCARC].

Dr. Regan has served as President of the United Way in 1968, the Library Board in 1976 and Vice-President of the Huntington County Medical Memorial Foundation in 1969. He helped initiate the founding of the Huntington County Chapter of the American Cancer Society and served as its first President.  Dr. Regan serves on the Board of Directors of the Huntington County Historical Society and was instrumental in having an Indiana historical marker erected in 2018 honoring celebrated local dentist Dr. Otto U. King. He was a past member of the Elks and Moose Lodges and Amvets and is a current member of American Legion Post 85. He has been a member of the Optimist Club since 1964. Dr. Regan earned the Eagle Scout award in 1953 as a member of BSA Explorer Post 6 in Cambridge City, Indiana.  He has served the Boy Scouts of America [BSA] Anthony Wayne Area Council as a fundraiser, assistant scoutmaster, two years District Chairman of Huntington and Whitley Counties,1977 through 1978, and as a member of the Council Executive Committee.  As assistant scoutmaster, Dr. Regan led a group of scouts on an expedition to the BSA Region 7 canoe base in Ely, Minnesota and also to the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. He is also a member of the BSA fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega and the Order of the Arrow. His five sons are all Eagle Scouts, which is a national Boy Scouts of America record. He is a member of Saint Mary Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus, Fourth Degree.

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Besides his dental practice, Dr. Regan became a one-third owner of Huntington Electric, Inc. in 1980 along with Robert Hoffman and Jim Shields. He built the building for that business which now stands at 550 Condit Street and is occupied by J. O. Wolf Tool and Die, Inc. In 1983, he purchased Justand Plastics, Inc., dba Bircraft, Inc., and operated that business for thirty-three years. His son, Michael J. Regan, was President and CEO. He also built the building at 250 Commerce Drive for that business. It is currently occupied by Habitat for Humanities Restore. The Regan family retains the rights to the Bircraft, Inc. copyrights and trademarks.

Dr. Regan has received much special recognition for his community service. The AGD presented him with its Distinguished Service Award in 1991 for establishing AGD's presence on ANSC and serving on it and two of its subcommittees for ten years. He was Indiana AGD Dentist of the Year in 1981. Also in 1981, the AAE presented him with a special citation for establishing an outstanding relationship between their organization and the AGD. The North Carolina AGD also presented him with a special citation that year recognizing his leadership as President of the AGD. In 1982, his peers elected him a Fellow of the prestigious American College of Dentists [FACD], which represents less than four percent of the dental profession. The College seeks to promote ethics and professionalism in the dentistry.  [Dr. O.U. King was one of its founders in 1920.]  Governor Orr named Dr. Regan a Sagamore of the Wabash in 1981. The local Huntington Jaycees presented him with their Distinguished Service Award in 1969 and the Indiana Jaycees named him one of five Outstanding Young Men in Indiana that year. The Anthony Wayne Area Council BSA recognized his service to scouting with the Silver Beaver award in 1979. He received the highest local honor for community service by being named a Chief of the Flint Springs Tribe in 2006. In 1991, on the 25th anniversary of the founding of Pathfinder Services [HCARC], he received the LaMont Award. The Optimist Club named him Optimist of the Year in 2018. He received national attention when Vice President of the United States Dan Quayle would visit his office for care every Election Day.

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Dr. Regan has a strong commitment to continuing dental education [CDE] as exemplified by his MAGD and LLSR recognitions from the AGD representing nearly 5000 hours of CDE. MAGD stands for Mastership in the AGD and LLSR stands for Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition. MAGD has only been earned by 6850 dentists and LLSR by only 304 as of 2017. He belonged to several dental study clubs including the multi-year programs Society for Occlusal Studies and American Straight Wire and Functional Orthodontics. His extensive post graduate education allowed him to provide his patients with orthodontics as well as many of the advanced procedures of the time such as the pantograph for advanced gnathological dentistry, periodontal iliac crest marrow graphs, Linkow blade implants [later, root form implants], hospital dental care with general anesthesia and a rare retrograde amalgam fill on an endodonticly inaccessible palatal root of an upper first molar. He remains a strong advocate for the gold onlay still being the ideal standard of care for most operative dentistry and many of his patients had these restorations, along with his Class III gold foils, last over forty years.

He says the greatest joys of private practice and what is missed most in retirement is seeing the patients and staff with whom he had developed long-term friendships. He was truly touched when patients had tears when he announced his retirement.

Dr. Regan particularly enjoys playing golf and bowling with friends in spite of not being very good at either. There are many memorable fly-fishing trips to Montana with his son-in-law, Dr. Dan Burns, and Canadian fly-in fishing adventures with his wife, neighbors, David and Sue Brewer, and sons, John, Mike and David and their friends, John Vollmar and Craig Citti, that stand out. The trips with Sharon to Belize and with Stan to Rome and Jennifer to Hawaii are all unforgettable to him along with Steve providing all the golf he ever wants to play. Blue gill fishing in Birchwood, Wisconsin with Delene and the Brewers was a highly anticipated annual event for fifty years. Dr. Regan always enjoys a good game of bridge with the neighbors and contract rummy or eucher with the grandchildren. He is known for his work ethic, leadership, and creative ideas all being done with a quick wit and good sense of humor. He is also known for his collection of ties [compliments of daughter, Shari] representing every imaginable holiday with his favorite being "Happy Ground Hog Day"! Participating in and recording the Spiro T. Agnew Memorial games holds special memories.

He and his wife, Delene, are very proud of the accomplishments of their eight children and twenty-one grandchildren. The family is a strong supporter of Indiana University with fifteen IU degrees between them. Their children were allowed to go to any state supported school they wanted--located in Bloomington, Indiana! Their children are Dr. John Stanton Regan [Liz,RN], a urologist in Champaign, IL, Michael Joseph Regan, BS, President and CEO of Justand Plastics, Inc., Huntington, Sharon Delene Regan, JD, MRE, an attorney in Pensacola, FL, Dr. Jennifer Susanne Regan, an Ob/Gyn in Chillicothe, OH, Dr. Linda Anne Burns [Dr. Dan Burns], a dentist in Mishawaka, IN, Dr. David Patrick Regan, a dentist in Middlebury, IN, Dr. Stephan Daniel Regan [Heather, RDH], a dentist in Ft. Wayne, IN, and Dr. Stanton Maurice Regan [Dr. Karen], a urologist in Lafayette, IN.   Dr. Regan always claimed the kids got their brains from their mother because he still had his. That statement had great truth because Delene was valedictorian of Huntington High School in 1953 and was graduated with highest honors from IU. She was a member of Phi Eta Sigma, Alpha Lambda Delta and Beta Gamma Sigma scholastic honoraries. The Beta Gamma Sigma scholastic honorary represents the top 10 percent of students in the IU School of Business. She received one of only four keys presented to that group her senior year, representing top achievement in the business school.  Delene's meticulous class notes on one inch by one inch notepads were legendary as were her notes in shorthand for anyone trying to borrow them just before final exams! Their grandchildren are Dr. Mary Davis [Dr. Morgan], William Regan, B.S., MBA [Audrey], Anne Regan, B.S., Sara Regan, B.S., Oliver Regan, Christina Delene Regan, CDA, Stephen Regan, Dr. Craig Lods [Dr. Elizabeth], John Lods, B.S., Joseph Herlihy, Michael Herlihy, Isaac Herlihy, Sarah Burns, Ian Burns, Regan Burns, Phoenix Gray Haggard, Halle Regan, Hudson Regan, Vanessa Regan and Alexander Regan. A grandson, A.J. Regan, the son of Drs. Stan and Karen Regan, is deceased as are his parents, J. Donald Regan and Lorraine M. Regan. Dr. Regan also has a sister, Mary Kathleen Jones of Omaha, NE and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Dr. Regan's wife, Delene Anne [Smith] Regan, died June 17, 2016 after a sixteen-year battle with breast cancer and 58 years of marriage. She and her flowers are greatly missed by all who were privileged to know her.  Delene absolutely loved blue gill fishing in Birchwood, Wisconsin, dancing with her friends in the Tri Kappa Red Stocking Follies [especially putting a great big red lipstick kiss on Herbie Hoovers forehead], the Spiro T. Agnew Memorial Games, singing parodies with her YMCA water aerobics buddies, working with Mike at Bircraft, and, of course, being with her family. The Regan family has established the Delene Anne Regan Valedictorian Scholarship with the Huntington County Community Foundation to honor her memory, the pursuit of academic excellence and to annually recognize the Huntington North High School Valedictorian.