DonnaRae Shimon

DonnaRae Shimon

Cedar Rapids

DonnaRae Shimon, 83, of Cedar Rapids, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on Aug. 9, 2023. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at Teahen Funeral Home.

DonnaRae was born on Aug. 24, 1939, to Wilmont and Mildred Brazee (nee Wiskirchen) in Milwaukee, Wis. She graduated from Washington High School in 1957, attended Western College for Women (OH) for two years, then transferred to Iowa State University, where she met her future husband, Ronald, and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics. After college, DonnaRae worked at McCall’s in New York City testing and evaluating household appliances, appearing in the magazine in 1962.

DonnaRae married Ronald in 1964, moved to Iowa, and devoted her life to caring for others. She was heavily involved in school parent-teacher organization activities and was a strong supporter of her children’s sports and musical activities. DonnaRae enjoyed traveling, planning yearly vacations so that the family got to experience nature, appreciate history and be exposed to different areas of the country. A lifelong cook, she also took great pleasure in making lavish meals for family and friends. She was the sole caregiver to her parents as they aged, loved spending time with and seeing her six grandchildren grow, and enjoyed cultivating African violets.

DonnaRae is survived by her husband of 58 years, Ronald Shimon of Cedar Rapids; children, Richard (Jennifer) Shimon of Troy, Mich., Robert (Carey) Shimon of St. Charles, Ill., and Jeffrey (Julie) Shimon of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and six grandchildren; Jacob, Jack, Joseph, James, Jane and Ryan.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Wilmont and Mildred.

Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society per the family’s wishes.

Online condolences can be left at www.teahenfuneralhome.com.