John
Rave
John Rave, age 87, of New Berlin, Wisconsin, entered into eternal rest at his home on March 25, 2026. His passing was unexpected, as John remained active and engaged in the work and ministries he loved until the very end.
John was born on March 23, 1939, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Helen and Nicholas Rave. He was the eldest of seven children and graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1957, and graduated from Marquette University in 1973. On September 2, 1961, he was united in marriage to Arlene Meyer. Together they shared 64½ years of marriage and raised five children, building a family legacy that includes 13 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and one great-grandchild expected next month.
A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, John was also a man of deep Catholic faith. He was an active and dedicated member of St. Mary’s Parish in Hales Corners, where he sang in the parish choir, and he also lent his voice to the Milwaukee Archdiocese Choir. Music, worship, and service remained central to his life.
John had just celebrated his 87th birthday and was still working full-time at 4th Dimension Design, the company he founded more than 40 years ago. As a structural engineer, he was passionate about his work and deeply valued his colleagues and associates. His integrity, discipline, and loyalty never faded. In his spare time, John enjoyed traveling and staying engaged with family, faith, and community.
John is survived by his loving wife, Arlene Rave; his children, Shelley (the late Ken) Fraser, Lisa (Mike) O’Dell, Cindy (Mark) Laubenheimer, Kevin (Lisa) Rave, and Becky (Shane) Grinnell; 13 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; his siblings Judy Young, David Rave, Tom Rave, and Robert Rave; along with many cherished in-laws, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his sister, Mary Ellen Gangloff and brother, Jim Rave.
John will be remembered for his unwavering faith, strong work ethic, generosity of spirit, and the deep love he had for his family. His life was one of purpose, devotion, and quiet strength, and he will be dearly missed.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary Catholic Faith Community, 9520 W. Forrest Home Ave in Hales Corners on Saturday, April 11 at 2 pm. The family will receive visitors at the church from 12:15 to 1:45 pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to https://www.unbound.org/ and St. Mary Catholic Faith Community, https://www.stmaryhc.org/page.php?id=946.
John was a wonderfully generous and caring man . He gave so much to the St, Mary faith community. Not only did he sing in the choir. , he also did announcements at tithe parish festival every year. He also donated his expertise as a structural engineer when the St Mary church was built. A n excellent example of what it means to give of yourself for other. John will be missed. May John know the fullness of life promised by the Risen Lord.
To hear of John’s passing is such sad news. I sang with John for many years in the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Choir, (often we sat next to each other.) He was a very kind, gentle and generous “Gentleman” in the true sense of the word. Please accept my condolences and prayers. May you find comfort in knowing what a positive impact John had on all those who knew him.
John was the best of the best. He was a dear friend along with his wife Arlene. Whenever i knew that my wife and I might see them it made our day better. We never tired of their company. They truly are our favorite people.
i worked with John for 35 years and never had a bad experience. John was not just an engineer he was a teacher of engineering. He never made me feel stupid when I was.
I will miss him dearly!
John was a genuine man, and I will miss him. I enjoyed my time with him, Arlene, Kevin, and Lisa at the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin events. Sending prayers to his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. I hope the wonderful memories you have will give you peace and comfort in the days ahead.
A true legend in the design/construction business. I always heard about him at our office but didn’t meet him until last year 2025 and impressed by his intelligence and wit.
I first met John on the basketball court when he was a sophomore and I was a junior in. the CYO high school league. He always said our teams had good games against each other. He was skilled and competitive back then. Those two characteristics were later exemplified in his professional life As an engineer. He became an expert witness in court. I was privileged to have John as my brother in law all these many years as my beloved sister Arlene’s husband and spiritual head of their beautiful family. Now knowing John’s determination, he’s knocking on heaven”s gate and auditioning for the choir
We truly enjoyed hearing his voice at 11 am mass at St. Mary’s . Our sincere condolences and prayers for Arlene and family. He will be missed..
Pauline Hogan and Steve Skalecki