Rae Sanders has never been one to shy away from a new adventure. From psychiatric nursing and healthcare leadership to solo travel in Alaska, Space Camp, whitewater rafting, Indy car racing, and even playing keyboard in a rock-and-roll band, Rae has spent a lifetime trying new things.
When she began thinking about her next move, she brought that same thoughtful approach to finding the right senior living community. After researching her options and talking with people she trusted, Rae chose Cedar Community for its continuum of care, maintenance-free living, natural setting, activities, and sense of community.
A Career Built Around Healthcare
Rae Sanders was born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, along with her brother and sister. Her family enjoyed camping, hiking, and canoeing, and that connection to the outdoors has stayed with her throughout her life.
During high school, Rae was an AFS foreign exchange student and lived in Uruguay during the summer of 1965.
After high school, she attended Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Madison and ultimately became a registered nurse. She began her career at Mendota State Hospital as a psychiatric nurse on the adolescent unit and later joined the Mendota nursing education department, where she taught student nurses.
In 1974, Rae moved to Sheboygan to work at Sheboygan Memorial Hospital as assistant director of nursing. When the hospital joined Aurora Health Care in 1992, she became a regional vice president of marketing and business development.
With the exception of three years in corporate banking, Rae spent her entire career in healthcare.
Following a Love for Alaska
For her 50th birthday, Rae traveled to Alaska by herself to explore.
She drove 2,000 miles throughout the state during the trip and enjoyed the experience so much that she returned the following summer.
Wanting a new challenge, Rae moved to Alaska in the winter of 1999 and settled in Anchorage. She was hired by Providence Health Center and became director of marketing and training for Providence Alaska Medical Center.
It was there that she met her future husband, Paul, a family practice physician and the medical director at Providence Seward Medical Center.
After two years, they moved to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where Rae again joined Aurora Health Care in a new role as director of provider relations.
But Alaska continued calling.
After three years, Rae and Paul returned to “The Last Frontier” and settled in Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula. Rae worked at Central Peninsula Counseling Services, where she was responsible for marketing and community relations. She continued in that role when the organization merged with Cottonwood Health Center to become Peninsula Community Health Services of Alaska.
Five years later, they moved to Wausau to be closer to grandchildren in the Lower 48.
Rae retired after she was unable to find a professional opportunity that felt meaningful to her. After Paul was diagnosed with a serious health condition and retired, they moved to Howards Grove in 2016.
Twenty years after they married, Paul passed away in 2022.
Rae has one son, Ross, who lives in Sheboygan with his wife, granddaughter, and grandson. Her first great-granddaughter was born in 2026. She also has three stepchildren and four step-grandchildren living in Oregon and Washington.
Rae’s Excellent Adventures
Travel and adventure have always been a major part of Rae’s life.
She has visited 43 U.S. states, Mexico, several Caribbean countries, and multiple provinces in Canada.
Music has also followed her throughout her life. Rae played piano, organ, flute, and piccolo through high school and as a young adult. After graduating from nursing school, she played in the Madison City Band for several years.
Then came rock and roll.
In 1985, Rae and four friends from Sheboygan formed a rock-and-roll band called “Malpractice,” which played several times a year for charity fundraisers until Rae moved to Alaska.
Rae played keyboard and says she had a blast.
During the decade before her move to Alaska, she began what she called “Rae’s Excellent Adventures.”
Those adventures included:
- Backroad hiking and camping near Banff in the Canadian Rockies
- Whitewater rafting in Utah with Outward Bound
- Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
- Aviation Challenge and Top Gun flight simulators
- Sky Warriors outside Atlanta, where she flew T-34 trainers in simulated dogfights alongside retired Air Force and Navy pilots
- A day-long Indy car racing course at Road America
- A week horseback riding at a dude ranch in Colorado
- Dog mushing with Alaskan Huskies in northern Minnesota
Her assessment of flying alongside experienced military pilots?
“It takes nerves of steel with ice in the veins.”
Finding the Right Senior Living Community
Four years after Paul’s death, Rae no longer wanted the responsibility of maintaining a home or finding the right people to handle repairs and upkeep.
She began researching senior living communities and reached out to people she trusted for advice.
One of those people was Jim Williams, whom Rae had known since 1978 when they worked together in Sheboygan. Later in his career, Jim served as director of operations at Cedar Community for 20 years.
Rae also spoke with friends who worked in senior services about what she should look for in a community.
Two things stood out to her about Cedar Community: a continuum of care and freedom from home maintenance.
Rae moved to Cedar Community in February 2026.
A New Adventure at Cedar Community
Rae quickly knew she had made the right choice.
She enjoys Cedar Community’s walking trails, array of services, activities, performances, volunteer opportunities, and, most importantly, the friendly and caring team members and residents.
Her love of the outdoors continues as well. Rae is looking forward to pontoon boat rides and kayaking on Big Cedar Lake.
And after 40 years away from the flute, Rae decided to pick it up again.
She took a few lessons in West Bend and has now joined “The Little Big Band.”
Life has been full of adventures for Rae Sanders.
And knowing Rae, there’s probably another one just around the corner.
Originally published in the Summer 2026 issue of Live More magazine.
