Obituary of William Rae

William H. Rae, age 94, of West Peoria, passed away on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at Heritage Health Normal. William was born in Glasgow, Scotland on October 11, 1922 to William H. and Margaret (Denney) Rae Sr. He married Shirley E. Ohlsen in Peoria on August 26, 1944. They celebrated 67 years of marriage before her passing on July 16, 2012. William was also preceded in death by his parents, one brother James Rae, and one sister Agnes Theobald. He is survived by four sons, Robin (Jo) Rae of Peoria and children, Nick (Sarah) Rae and Cammy (Matt) Christoff; Steve (Kathy) Rae of St. Charles, MO and children, Alex, Jack, Tony, Gerry, and Angeline; Andy (Paula) Rae of Bloomington and child, Ginny Tipsord; Jeff (Joyce) Rae of North Barrington, IL and children, Colin and Tegan; and three great-granddaughters, Lucy Rae, Penelope Christoff and Gracie Tipsord. Bill attended White School, Franklin, Roosevelt Jr. High, and was a Manual High School class of 1940 graduate. He began his apprenticeship at Caterpillar in 1940 and worked there for 45 years, retiring in 1984. He was Superintendent of Maintenance in Buildings KK and SS. Bill enjoyed all sports and was president of the Independent Sports Club in 1955, where he had been a member since 1947. He was also an avid Chicago Cubs fan. The family would like to thank the employees at Heritage Health in Normal for their exceptional care. A graveside service for Bill will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at Swan Lake Memory Gardens in Peoria. Memorial contributions in honor of Bill may be made to the American Cancer Society. Bill's online memorial website may be viewed at www.cumerford.com