Maree McRae-Whisenand

December 31, 1959 - July 31, 2025

Maree McRae-Whisenand passed away on July 31, 2025, from medical complications of Alpha1 Antitrypsine Deficiency, 37 weeks after the catastrophic loss and grief of losing her only child, her beloved daughter, Stella Ruele.

It’s hard to know where to start to summarize Maree’s life and legacy.

Maree was born Dec. 31, 1959. She rode and jumped horses as a young girl. She loved skiing and worked at ski resorts in her teens. She loved tennis and paddle boarding, biking and all active outdoor activities. Maree was a successful real estate broker for over 40 years in the Denver area which she always stated, that career was chosen by a Divine plan as her child suffered with an immune deficiency with sky rocketing medical bills and her real estate career paid for the many many hundreds of thousands in medical bills.

Maree’s true career of the heart was music. Maree was a professional musician and played piano since the age of 5 and guitar since 5th grade. She was a professional singer-songwriter whose songs charted on Billboards Americana Charts and on Billboards Adult Contemporary, with her single, Breeze hitting the Top Ten. Maree was the mother of her beloved daughter, Stella, whom she fought for since Stella’s birth all the way to her death at the age of 33. Maree’s moving videos, REASON and Over and Over, were written in the wake of her daughter’s struggles with mental illness and a broken mental health care system. You can read about and watch and listen to Maree’s music at MareeMcRaemusic.com and watch her videos on YouTube. Music was a deep passion and Maree always spoke of how blessed she was that she was able to perform throughout her life and share her journey through her songwriting to so many. Maree toured Sweden and was a top artist at music festivals there and in the U.S. But her music was more than just the success of working as a professional musician, Maree felt she was only a messenger here in life, and her music gave her a chance to share her heart and make videos that other’s connected with through their own hearts and suffering. Maree’s quote with her music was “what comes from the heart, stays with the heart.” And that was the most important part of life and what she felt everyone’s purpose should be. Giving to others was easy for Maree and she lived lovingly and humbly.

When she was diagnosed with Alpha1, activities became more difficult and singing and performing became too hard and losing so much of what she called, “her lifelines” was challenging. But the hardest at the end, was when she lost her daughter. She was an animal lover and proud of her beloved dogs, Max and then Samson who she volunteer at hospice with a trained as a therapy dog. Before she was dying, a puppy named Sherpa was brought to Maree to do what the word Sherpa means,

“something brought to lighten the load of one on a particular journey.” Sherpa helped to heal Maree’s heart that was so broken.

What Maree was the most proud of in her life was starting the ground breaking HEART MIND HAVEN non-profit to provide safe transitional living for homeless LGBTQ individuals struggling with mental health challenges. She provided key testimony for many of Colorado’s mental health bills that were enacted into law and she was fiercely passionate about fighting for change in our mental health care system.

Maree is survived by her loving husband, Damon, her beloved sister Linda, sister in law Emily, brother Tom, sister Ann, nephews Andy and Nicholas, and her 97 year old beloved mother and light of her life. Her father, Ray, passed away in 2014 who she was also extremely close to. Her parents and family meant everything to her. Her best friend of 30 years was Diane, whom she lost in 2012.

Maree changed the world is so very many ways for the better. Her music and advocacy, her honesty and openness changed everyone who met and knew her. We celebrate a life that was incredibly well lived and will live on with all the love she showed so many of us and all of the fights she fought for who couldn’t fight for themselves. She changed us all and we are better for knowing and loving her. Maree wanted this saying to be the summary of what she felt about life and others and what she learned from her own life and her daughter’s struggles: Empathy:

“Let me hold the door for you.

I may have never walked in your shoes

But I can see your soles are worn

It’s the least I can do.”

Maree will have a water cremation, just as her daughter did and her tree tea will water trees and plants alongside her daughter’s.

Maree had a spiritual connection to the waters in Laguna Beach where she had miraculous soul communication with her deceased daughter and chose to have the end of her life by the ocean there. Maree qualified and used Medical Aid in Dying and was a strong advocate for death with dignity for all human beings and their right to choose a peaceful death. Maree suffered from the terminal disease, progressive and incurable Alpha1 Antitrypsine Deficiency. We love you Maree and your Light will continue to light all of our lives on this journey we all share. We will miss you incredibly but know it was time for you to finally rest amongst the angels, including your beloved daughter. Your mission on earth was completed and a life beautifully lived.

Maree’s Celebration of Life will be in Lakewood, CO at The Retreat at Solterra 15250 W Evans Ave, Lakewood, CO 80228 Sunday September 28, 2025 at 3pm.

Maree’s Celebration of Life

 

Sunday, September 28, 2025
3 PM
The Retreat at Solterra
15250 W Evans Ave,
Lakewood, CO 80228