Hon. Steven E. Rau

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Rau, Hon. Steven E. It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of the Honorable Steven Edward Rau, age 63, on November 8, 2019. Steve died at home after living inspirationally for two years with gastric cancer, a disease that he never let define him. A beloved husband, father, son, brother, friend, mentor, and colleague, and a man of great intellectual curiosity and deep faith, Steve will be remembered for his irrepressible spirit, boundless generosity, fierce loyalty, dapper style, wise counsel, and passion for a good game of golf, a good story and a good whiskey. He taught us to live with gusto, to face adversity with courage, and to die with dignity and grace. A proud graduate of Carleton College and William Mitchell College of Law, Steve served as a law clerk to his mentor and hero the Hon. Douglas Amdahl on the Minnesota Supreme Court, after which he practiced law in the Twin Cities for 28 years. In 2011, he was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota as a Magistrate Judge, where he served with great joy and diligence. Steve was committed to public service and was a consistent champion of the less powerful members of our society. He was instrumental in establishing the Pro Se Project, a partnership between the Federal Court and the Federal Bar Association, to provide unrepresented parties free access to legal representation. He also played a lead role in the creation of the Federal Transportation Program, which helped children travel to visit their mothers who were incarcerated in out-of-state federal prisons. Steve leaves behind a heartbroken but resilient family: loving wife, Christine L. Meuers; children, Victoria C. Rau, Edward J. Rau, and Alexander S. Davis; mother, Sally Millett Rau; stepmother, Gretchen Rau; siblings, David Rau (Veronica), Lisa Rau (Larry Krasner), and Kate Rau; in-laws, Larry R. and Virginia Meuers, brothers-in-law, Larry H. Meuers (Nancy) and Daniel Meuers (Patricia); nieces and nephews, Sean Rau, Megan Rau, Nate Krasner, Caleb Rau, Grant Meuers, Emily Meuers, Natalie Meuers, Abby Meuers, and Lauren Mathis. He is also survived by his aunts, many cousins, the "Federal Family,"numerous dear friends and faithful hound Teddy. Steve was preceded in death by grandparents and aunts, father Edward J. Rau, sister-in-law Theresa Meuers and nephew Ryan Mathis. Steve's family wishes to express deep appreciation to the doctors and nurses at Healtheast, Mayo Clinic, and Fairview Hospice. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday November 17 at Willwerscheid Funeral Home, 1167 Grand Ave., St. Paul. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Monday November 18 at Church of the Assumption, 51 West 7th St., St. Paul. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a gift in honor of Steve to the Hon. Steven E. Rau Scholarship Fund, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, 875 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105 or to Catholic Charities, 1200 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55403. Willwerscheid Funeral Home & Cremation Service 651-228-1006

Published on November 10, 2019