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Mildred Elizabeth Rael passed away Wednesday, July 8, 2009. She is survived by husband, Ivan; son, David wife, Linda, grandchildren, Matthew and Elizabeth; son, Steven wife, Leslie, grandchildren, Samuel and Madeline; son, Michael wife, Sandra, grandson Kristopher; daughter, Lynda and Ronald Cameron of Little Rock, AR, Elizabeth Burton of Hot Springs, AR, Jeanne Thatcher Touchstone of Fort Worth, TX, and Amanda Cameron of Rancho Santa Marguerita, CA. She was born June 28, 1928 in Pittsburgh, PA to Elvie and Ruby Simpson. Soon after Millie's birth the family moved to North Little Rock, AR. Her mother Ruby died when Millie was four, and her father later married Edythe Thatcher Scott, who became Millie's lifelong loving mother. Millie graduated from North Little Rock High School, Class of 1946, in which she was active in journalism, student government, Spanish club, Quill and Scroll, and National Honor Society. Notable among her writings for the student newspaper was the article at graduation, "The World of Tomorrow is Yours", wherein she wrote, "We want a lasting peace, and whether it lasts for twenty years or whether it lasts forever depends upon us. So, how about it, kids? Let's begin today, right now, toward becoming the citizens of tomorrow; toward becoming the leaders of whom people will be proud. It's our duty to ourselves and to our country." It was an expression of purpose and acceptance of commitment which reflected the way Millie lived her life. After graduation Millie moved to Las Vegas, NV, and worked as a clerk/stenographer at Nellis AFB. There she met and married Jose Ivan Rael September 2, 1950 in a military wedding with a honeymoon in Hollywood. Son David was born August 1951 in Las Vegas, son Steven July 1953 in Denver, son Michael July 1958 in Albuquerque and daughter, Lynda in May 1960, also in Albuquerque. The family enjoyed tours in Phoenix, AZ and Anchorage, AK before returning to Albuquerque in 1970 for good. Throughout these tours of duty of husband Ivan, Millie was continuously employed in the civil service, initially in stenography, then finance and bookkeeping. She earned numerous promotions and awards, including Certificate of Recognition 1985, Sustained Superior Performance Award 1985, Outstanding Performance Award 1986, "Peace Through Light" Award 1986, and, upon her retirement, 30 Year Certificate of Service, Air Force Weapons Lab and Systems Command, Kirtland Air Force Base, April, 1986. Millie's sense of purpose and commitment was partnered with a capacious love and creativity. Raising a family but never still, Millie made beautiful things: heavy wool Alaskan sweaters, intricate macrame designs, colorful bead necklaces, delicate paper Mache flower arrangements and other crafts. She was a collector of rare dolls, a chronicler of family history with an extraordinary photo wall and scrapbook library, a ravenous reader (especially Hillerman), a model of elegant hat fashions, a fiercely loyal friend to her children, a maintainer of traditions, a sentimentalist, a spoiler of puppies, a cheerleader, a banker easy with a bail-out, an encourager, a whupper when it was needed, a loving hand when it was wanted, a fan of Tiger Woods and the Golf Channel though never having lifted a club, a devotee of Elvis and Betty Boop, an utterer of nothing harsher than "Jiminy Christmas", a holder of all family before herself, whose every wish and dream and thought and idea had to do with whatever made you happy, a loving wife, mother and friend to the world. Memorial Services will be held Monday, July 13, 2009, 2:00 p.m., at French - Wyoming Chapel. Ennichement will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 7999 Wyoming Blvd. NE. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, Attn: Executive Director, P.O. Box 2666, Albuquerque, NM 87125-6666, for Hospice Homecare or the Animal Humane Association of NM, 615 Virginia SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108. Please visit our online guestbook for Mildred at RememberTheirStory.com French 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE (505) 823-9400
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