Dr. Lee Wayne Rahe

Dr. Lee W. Rahe died after a brief illness on February 21, 2023 at the age of 75. Lee was born the only child to Lee and Martha (Schlameus) Rahe. Early on Lee developed an interest in antiques, conservation, and historic preservation. He was proud of providing measured architectural drawings and fachwerk diagrams that were instrumental in the reassembling of the Baetge House as it stands today in Conservation Plaza. Lee carried on this passion as he received degrees in art history and housing and interior design, culminating in a PhD in Human Ecology with a specialization in history of interior design, historic preservation. Lee would later go on to teach in the Interior Design Program at the University of Alabama. Lee spent some time working in the French Quarter in New Orleans in several fine establishments selling art and antiques. Lee’s faith led him to become an ordained minister through the Metropolitan Community Church and was an associate pastor at MCC in San Antonio. In later years Lee enjoyed traveling in Europe to see the tulips in the spring and the Christmas markets in the winter. He created fantastic photographic albums that included maps of his trips and historical documentation of the sites visited which he enjoyed sharing over coffee and dessert. Lee would email family and friends every morning a picture from a trip that would bring a smile to your face. Lee said one of his greatest pleasures was hearing Mozart being played at the Estates Theatre in Prague. Lee once said “I’ve lived my life as I wanted and I have no regrets”. Lee is survived by cousins Beverly Giacoletti, Kay Schwarzlose , Jack Rahe, Beth Schlameus as well as numerous other cousins. Lee wished to be cremated. Those wishing to honor his life can make a donation in his name to the ACLU, Sophienburg Museum and Archives, Heritage Society of New Braunfels, Texas Public Radio.