Rae Ann Somma

Rae Ann Somma (nee Lavely) was born on July 10, 1937 in Cedar Vale, Kansas to Owen Lavely and Electa Morlan Lavely. At an early age, the family moved to Enid, Oklahoma, where Rae Ann attended Enid Public Schools and worked at the Esquire Theatre. It was while Rae Ann was working at the Esquire Theatre that she met a young airman stationed at Vance Air Force Base, Thomas Somma. Soon after their marriage they were transferred to Williams AFB in Chandler, Arizona. They spent the next 20 years of their lives together at duty stations in the United States as well as Greece and Germany. While her daughter was growing up, Rae Ann was a Girl Scout Leader, and active in the NCO Wives Club, Woman’s Altar Society and taught religious education classes. After retirement from the Air Force, they returned to Enid, where Rae Ann worked at the Northern Oklahoma Resource Center until she retired due to a hip fracture she sustained while at work. In 2009 she moved to Miami, Florida to live with her daughter, where she resided until her death. She was preceeded in death by a brother, Burl, a sister Orbina, her son Anthony and her former husband and best friend of more than 40 years, Thomas Somma. She is survived by her daughter, Madeline (Ray) Woodard, her son Andrew, beloved granddaughter Samantha and her great grandsons, Jaydon, Armando and Joshua.