Obituary of Rae Miniea

It is with a sad heart that the family of Rae Miniea say goodbye.  She lived a long life; full of family, adventure, and caring for others in need.  Rae was born on July 3, 1917 in Chicago to Olga and Henry Sidenbecker.  Her birthday was special because her family always celebrated together and she believed the fireworks were just for her.  At a very young age her family moved to Hamilton, Canada where on her first day at school during recess she got lost and followed the local postman home.   At five years old her life long adventures were just beginning.  At age eight her family moved to Highland Park, IL.  Rae was always an advanced student and skipped many grades. After high school she attended Northwestern University and graduated with honors with a degree in math.  During her twenties while still living in Illinois, she met her husband, Sam Miniea and had their first two sons Tony and Steve. The family moved to Louisville, KY in 1946 to enjoy life in the country on a horse farm that brought many adventures; a horse that climbed up a ladder into hay loft and a neighbor’s horse that drove a car.  In 1950 they had their third son Michael.  In 1957 she got her pilots license along with her husband and they bought a plane to keep at the airfield behind their farm.   They would frequently fly the three boys to Chicago for family visits and she became an accomplished pilot.  In 1960 the family moved to Florida where they built a home in the newly subdivided Sea Ranch Lakes in Lauderdale-by-the Sea.  There they had their fourth child, a daughter, Suzanne.  In the mid seventies and eighties Rae was on the board of directors for the Ann Stork Center.  She advocated for children with severe disabilities and took a hands-on approach.   She volunteered weekly in the preschool program to help give the children there a better quality of life and let them know someone loved them.  Later in the eighties she was one of the first people to volunteer for the Guardian Ad Litem program in Ft. Lauderdale.   She was always valued for her intuition and good sense.  She deeply cared for the children that were put under her watch and latter became mentors to many offering her fine wisdom. Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, honored her as a Women of the Year for her years of service and her life long dedication to  helping  children in need.  When asked what she was most proud of, she said being a Mom to four children, but she felt closeness to all children.  Rae loved fast cars.  She had Corvette’s for over 40 years and could be seen around town in her Corvette till her 90th year.  She loved the thought that she might not be able to out run you, but she certainly could beat you at a red light.  In addition to her four children, she adored her daughter In-laws; Judi, Becky, and Catalina, and her son in-law Jan Scheck. She was also fortunate to have nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.  She wll be missed by many, but has left an encyclopedia of lasting life lessons for many. Service will be conducted at the Redmon Funeral Home Friday at 12 Noon.