Regina Francoise Cooley

Born May 16, 1940 in Flanders, Belgium. She received her teacher’s degree from H. Heart College in Heverlee, Belgium. For three years she taught young children in a private school. In 1961, she came to the United States and became a naturalized citizen. She has two children from a first marriage, Michael and Elizabeth Dunn. Her late husband was Leland Frederick Cooley, author of 16 published books and producer of the Perry Como Show. Regina appeared in several plays and a number of television commercials and fashion magazines. She also wrote newspaper critiques on ballet, theater and motion pictures. The Magic Christmas Pony was her first book published in 1991. It received the Northwest Center for the Arts children’s book award.