Obituary of Rae Helen McCaleb

Rae H. Vorsheck McCaleb Rae Helen Vorsheck McCaleb, age 76, died Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at Saint Vincent Hospital surrounded by her family. She was born on September 14, 1945, in Erie, PA., the daughter of the late William and Dorothy (Decker) Vorsheck. Rae graduated from Lawrence Park High School in 1963 and worked at General Electric before she met the love of her life and became a mom. She supported her family through her natural talent of baking, where she quickly became known across Erie as the “Cake Lady.” She was affectionately called Nana, Aunt Rae, Rae, and of course, Mom. She loved gardening and crafts, decorating her house for each and every holiday, and she was the hostess with the mostess. She was an active member for many years at Mount Calvary Catholic Church and School and the Cursillo movement. She volunteered for many years with Hospice, was a 17-year member of Al-Anon, and an ardent supporter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, George, her sister Carole and brother-in-law Steve Woitovich, her bothers; Tim and Tom Vorsheck, her mother-in-law Katherine Breen McCaleb “Namie” Dodge, and one brother-in-law William Bartlett. Survivors include her beloved fiancé, Gerald (Jerry) Riblet, with whom she loved traveling the world, her two daughters; Denise Brown and her husband Bill of Erie and Debbie Barry and her husband Todd, of Stow, Ohio, her two sons; Dan McCaleb and his wife Allison of Crystal Lake, Ill., and Donald McCaleb of Erie. Also surviving are sister Sue Vorsheck of Bradenton, Fla, brother Bill Vorsheck and his wife Betsy of Erie, sisters-in-law; Bev Parshall and her husband Ron, and Patti Bartlett, and grandchildren; Heidi Brown and husband Andrew, Steven Brown, Michaela, Joseph, and Alex Barry, Matthew and Aleah McCaleb, and Caden McCaleb, and special friends; Valerie, Erin and Lily. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be private calling hours at the Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory Inc. 4216 Sterrettania Rd. Erie, PA 16506. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, December 17, 2021 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 7100 W Ridge Rd. Fairview, PA 16415. The Mass will be live streamed on Holy Cross’ Facebook page at 10 a.m. Private interment. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to Al-Anon, 5440 Washington Ave. Erie, PA 16509, Great Lakes Hospice, Suite 244 Erie, PA 16501 or NAMI, 1611 Peach St. Suite 218 Erie, PA 16501.