Mary "Rae" Evelyn McDaniel Speciale

Rae was born on September 8, 1943 in Hamden to Helen and Charles McDaniel. In her youth, Rae competed in many beauty pageants, winning the titles of Miss Hamden-Woodbury and Poppy Queen. She worked at Joseph Ruzicka, Inc. as a bookbinder in the early 1960’s. She married the love of her life, Frank Speciale, at the age of 23 and had two daughters. The family became Harford county residents in 1975.

Frank and Rae started many successful businesses, including the Scott Travel Center & Restaurant in Elkton. Later Rae served as Vice President of CIGAR-ette City, Inc., which grew into several locations in Delaware and Maryland. In her retirement, Rae spent her time doting on her grandchildren. For many years, Rae struggled with Scleroderma, a rare and debilitating auto-immune pneumatic disease and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Rae is survived by her dedicated husband of 51 years, Frank, and devoted daughters Debra Gutridge of Bel Air and Christina Montanarelli of Fallston; her son-in-laws, Wayne K. Gutridge and Nicholas Montanarelli III; her three granddaughters, Samantha Rae (fiancée of Joseph Goettner III), Allison Anne, and Elisabeth Claire Gutridge; her two grandsons, Nicholas IV and John Francis Montanarelli. She will be missed by her siblings Kenneth McDaniel of Baltimore, as well as Kitty McDaniel and Susan Dudley of New Bern, North Carolina. Rae is also survived by sister-in-laws Gloria Meadowcroft of Bel Air, and Marion Esposito of Yorba Linda, CA. She is preceded in death by her granddaughter, Grace Rae Gutridge, and siblings Charles and Abbie McDaniel.

Many thanks to the nurses, physical therapists, and aides at Bel Air Health and Rehabilitation for their kindness and support.

Family and friends will honor Rae’s life at the Schimunek Funeral Home, 610 W. McPhail Road, Bel Air, MD 21014, on Thursday November 10th from 2:00-4:00 pm and 6:00-8:00 pm. A funeral service will be held on November 11th at 11:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Scleroderma Foundation at www.scleroderma.org or the Pulmonary Hypertension Association at www.phassociation.org/donate.