Nancyrae H. Case
August 31, 1943 ~ June 7, 2020
Nancyrae Huffman Case, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and much more, passed away June 7 of complications from ALS. She is survived by her husband Ed, daughters Heather Case and April Case Underwood, and five grandchildren: Colin, Anderson, Campbell, Arden, and Case.
Born in 1943 to Ray Huffman and Beulah Comer Huffman, Rae grew up in Stanley, Virginia. She attended Madison College, where she formed lifelong friendships with several roommates.
After graduating in 1964, Rae moved to Northern Virginia for a job with Fairfax County Public Schools. She quickly met and married Ed. She taught social studies at George C. Marshall High School before having her daughters. After teaching night school classes when they were little, Rae returned to full time teaching at Falls Church High School for the rest of her career. She taught many ESL Government classes, showing her students the possibilities offered by the democracy of their new country.
Rae was one of the glues in the family. She kept up with a dozen aunts during their lives, and more than 50 first cousins. Long after her retirement, Rae met regularly with a group of teacher friends for coffee. She'd already spent decades organizing countless family trips and events before becoming a grandmother in 2007. Grandma and Grandpa volunteered for weekly babysitting duties, instructing and indulging the youngest members of the family. Even after her health started limiting daylong childcare, Rae still came over to make weekly dinners for her grandchildren.
Rae responded to her diagnosis in early 2016 with the quiet but steely determination she displayed throughout her life. The diminishing of her earthly body could not quell the steady and supportive love for her family and friends. A service will be postponed until there are fewer limits on the number of loved ones who can attend. So in lieu of flowers, please honor Rae with a donation to The ALS Association (http://www.alsa.org/donate/) or one of these educational charities: Donors Choose (https://www.donorschoose.org/) Support the Library (https://www.loc.gov/philanthropy/online-donation/bookfest-donation) or Collect for Kids (https://www.collectforkids.org/).
Born in 1943 to Ray Huffman and Beulah Comer Huffman, Rae grew up in Stanley, Virginia. She attended Madison College, where she formed lifelong friendships with several roommates.
After graduating in 1964, Rae moved to Northern Virginia for a job with Fairfax County Public Schools. She quickly met and married Ed. She taught social studies at George C. Marshall High School before having her daughters. After teaching night school classes when they were little, Rae returned to full time teaching at Falls Church High School for the rest of her career. She taught many ESL Government classes, showing her students the possibilities offered by the democracy of their new country.
Rae was one of the glues in the family. She kept up with a dozen aunts during their lives, and more than 50 first cousins. Long after her retirement, Rae met regularly with a group of teacher friends for coffee. She'd already spent decades organizing countless family trips and events before becoming a grandmother in 2007. Grandma and Grandpa volunteered for weekly babysitting duties, instructing and indulging the youngest members of the family. Even after her health started limiting daylong childcare, Rae still came over to make weekly dinners for her grandchildren.
Rae responded to her diagnosis in early 2016 with the quiet but steely determination she displayed throughout her life. The diminishing of her earthly body could not quell the steady and supportive love for her family and friends. A service will be postponed until there are fewer limits on the number of loved ones who can attend. So in lieu of flowers, please honor Rae with a donation to The ALS Association (http://www.alsa.org/donate/) or one of these educational charities: Donors Choose (https://www.donorschoose.org/) Support the Library (https://www.loc.gov/philanthropy/online-donation/bookfest-donation) or Collect for Kids (https://www.collectforkids.org/).
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Oh dear Rae- so many great memories! 60 years of friendship-! “The Frivolous Five Madison Girls to Ladies”…college, couples, “Madison Ladies Gatherings”-our annual get-togathers. We will miss you dearly. God Speed and give a shout out to all those who have gone before you up in God’s Heaven. Fondly, Phyllis
What a lovely picture of you all, thanks! I often heard through Rae of the activities you all were enjoying together until not so many years ago! from Virginia Manczuk, Rae’s team teacher at Falls Church High School for 14 years
Nancyrae was such a special cousin. I will always remember her beautiful face and smile. I teased her that she could pass for Elizabeth’s Taylor’s twin! She would always blush and say “You know not!” Our family could always count on Nancyrae and Ed to attend many of the aunts’ birthday parties, cousins’ weddings, and other times that the Comers got together.She was a fellow teacher and JMU(Madison College) Duke. She was so kind and thoughtful and was always doing good deeds for others. She fought a good fight and is now in the arms of Aunt Beulah and Uncle Ray in her heavenly home. God bless the Case family during this time of sorrow!
We were saddened by the news of Rae’s passing. Tom and I met and married at Idylwood Presbyterian Church, where Ed’s father was the minister. I always thought they made such good-looking couple and the whole family was so special to us. The picture was taken in 2018 at a birthday celebration for David Morgan, our father, who was a life long member of Idylwood and shared many good times with them. Please know you all are in our prayers. Tom and Brenda Morgan
What a handsome picture, thanks for sharing!
Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Rea was a special person and we enjoyed Jazzercise together.
Sorry to hear about our over-the-fence neighbor, Rae. Adrienne and Ed Schmitz.
Oh! My dearest friend Rae with whom I team-taught for 14 years in our double period World Civ 9th grade G/T class at Falls Church High School — how I will miss your vibrant presence, your enthusiasm for teaching history, and your abiding friendship for the past 35 years! You lived a full, wonderful life, giving generously to the many causes, activities, and persons whose good fortune it was you cared about. And I know you are now at peace , having fought a cruel disease with such characteristic strength and dignity. I am holding your great Spirit in the Light with Love, Ginia Manczuk
Mrs. Case was my teacher at Falls Church High School in 1989. Her classes were challenging and delivered with her special brand of creativity and vibrancy. She clearly had a great deal of passion for the subject and for us, her students. She attended the funeral of my mother who passed away from cancer in 1990 when I was a sophomore and I will never forget her kindness and compassion. Rest in love Mrs. Case! Michelle Ladwig Williams, PhD
I had the wonderful pleasure of having Mrs. Case as my High School History teacher for two years at Falls Church High School. She helped foster a life long love of history. I knew from the start I was going to love Mrs. Case when she shared that she loved to read the obituaries from the paper. Her love of history and her love of young people made her one of the best teachers I ever had. I am now a teacher in Fairfax County and she had a big part in making me the educator I am today.
What a lovely tribute, Ellen!
My wife and I both had Mrs. Case at Falls Church High School. We participated in a mock election as one of our projects. Thank you Mrs. Case for always being so caring and making our learning fun and meaningful. My wife and I are both educators in FCPS. Your caring and loving personality will shine bright through your students and passed on to our students. -Billy & Nathalie Shirley
Rae Case was such an inspiration to me. I met her as a student at Falls Church High School. She was a class sponsor for the Class of 1986 and was so wonderful in terms of helping us plan prom, fundraisers, and graduation. When I was a young teacher at FCHS she was a true mentor to me. She was so kind . My condolences to her family. I hope that fond memories help you through this difficult time. Sincerely, Jeanne Kelly
I remember starting my freshman year at FCHS and feeling terrified of being the new kid. I had Ms. Case for GT English/World Civ. Ms. Case fostered my love for history in that class so much so that I went on to study history in undergrad and grad school. I even had the honor of being an adjunct professor in history at my alma mater. I know that she had such a wonderful way of teaching and making those lessons impactful. I will certainly cherish my experience in her class and know that she has left powerful and wonderful memories for so many students over the years. My love and condolences to her family and friends.
Mrs. Case was my math teacher at Marshall High in the 68-69 school year. Her kindness to me, and her encouragement, stayed with me over all the years. After the recent passing of two coaching legends from GCM, who both were very special people to me, I was searching for another special person,Mrs. Case, to thank her, when I discovered she had passed. Thank you, Mrs. Case!