Rebecca A Winner

Rebecca Ann Winner, 67, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio passed away peacefully at home on January 2, 2019 after a courageous seven-year battle with ALS. She was born on March 19, 1951 to Joseph and Rae Winner in Lewiston, Maine and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in sociology from Northeastern University and a Master's degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Rebecca dedicated her life to social justice and to helping improve the lives of others. As a social worker, she served in many capacities, but the majority of her career was within the juvenile justice system; she spent more than 20 years at the State of Wisconsin Department of Juvenile Corrections in Milwaukee. She was a committed mentor and firm defender of disadvantaged youth, believing kids need many opportunities to get on the right path, even in a system that made this challenging. After she retired and moved to Ohio, she continued this role as a case manager connecting the elderly to supportive services, until her health impeded her ability to do so. Rebecca was also a dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Steve Rao, their children, Jess Rao (Sara Hosey) and Julia Rao (Dan Katz), and grandsons, John and Julian Hosey-Rao; she is also survived by her sisters Ellen Winner (David Lewis) and Linda Greenberg (Ian Greenberg) and many other family and friends. She is pre-deceased by her parents and her brother, Billy Winner. She had a passion for travel, art, gardening, and entertaining. Rebecca had a wonderful sense of humor and always laughed the loudest and longest. She will be sorely missed. A memorial service will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the ALS Association (www.alsa.org).