Mae M. Rech

MAE M. RECH, known as “Honey” was born in Lefor, North Dakota in 1932. She grew up in Lefor, one of 11 children. She attended Dickinson State receiving her teaching certificate and taught in country schools in North and South Dakota a few years. In 1954, Mae married John Rech, a WW2 veteran, also from North Dakota and moved to San Francisco. Mae is survived by seven of her eight children, Joe Rech, Kathy Kelley, Patty Weisert, Mike Rech, Margaret Rech, Daniel Rech, David Rech, 11 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Their first born, Audrey Rech, died in 2012.

Mae was the most kind, caring, loving, supportive, witty, smart, funny, extremely organized, talented, super mom all around! Audrey was disabled and she cared for her in her home her entire life. John and Mae lived in the middle of San Francisco raising their family for 18 years. In 1973, they moved to Port Orchard, Washington due to John’s shipyard job transfer. This was a big change from living in the middle of San Francisco, with all of the city buses as our main method of transportation, adjusting to a small town life where you had to walk everywhere, or take foot ferry boats to shop. Mae was naturally musically talented and played piano, organ, accordion and guitar. She was a voracious reader. She loved to crochet (which she learned from her own mom) and made beautiful Christmas ornaments and Angels for daughters and nearly all of her nieces. She was also a great cook—especially good at making German dishes! She always had the best stories and things to say about each her kids and all the grandkids/great grandkids. Laughter and storytelling was one of her greatest gifts to us. She would repeat the stories over and over to each of us—about our kids. The last five years of her life she lived in Assisted Living in Gig Harbor and then Sequim, where she continued to bring laughter, dance and friendship to everyone she met. She will be missed greatly by all of her family and friends.

An inurnment service will be held at Sunset Lane Cemetery in Port Orchard on August 8th at 1:00.