Rae Bundrick Miles
Rae Bundrick Miles died peacefully at home in Melbourne, FL on April 23, 2026 after a serious illness. Over a four-decade career in education, Rae brought knowledge, compassion and a love of learning to thousands of elementary school students all over the nation. Throughout her life, she loved the Lord, her family, her friends and her cats. She was 88.
Rae Miles was born Marian Rae Bundrick on January 25, 1938 in Columbia, SC to Lucille Horne Bundrick and Thomas Raymond Bundrick. She attended elementary and high school in Columbia, then enrolled at Columbia College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. At age 19, during her second year of college, she married the love of her life, Thomas Eugene Miles, an electrical engineering student, also of Columbia.
After Rae and Gene finished college, they lived and worked all over the U.S. while raising their two sons, Tommy and Eric. Rae taught in public schools in Ithaca and Endicott, NY, Jacksonville, FL, Clearwater, FL, Minneapolis, MN, San Jose, CA and Melbourne FL. She and Gene were active in Southern Baptist and American Baptist Church communities everywhere they lived.
While working in Florida public schools, Rae completed a master’s degree in counseling psychology through Nova University and concluded her career in education as a counselor and site curriculum coordinator.
After retirement and well into her 80s, Rae continued in her lifelong commitment to Christian service, volunteering at the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC and the Haggai Institute Mid-Pacific Center in Kihei, Maui, HI and Space Coast Seafarer’s Ministry (now Port Canaveral Ministry) in Cape Canaveral, FL. She and Gene traveled extensively, living full-time in their motorhome and doing service work with Campers on Mission. She also regularly sang with the Florida Worship Choir.
Rae was preceded in death by her parents and her loving husband of 52 years, Gene Miles. She is survived by her two sons and daughters-in-law, Tommy and Carol Miles of Quincy, CA and Eric and Erin Miles of Melbourne, FL and her two adult grandchildren, Conner Miles of Seminole, FL and Megan Miles of Melbourne, FL.
The family expresses sincere gratitude to all who visited and prayed with Rae during her final weeks. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorial donations to the Port Canaveral Ministry, 8907 N. Atlantic Ave., Cape Canaveral, FL 32920.
Memorial Service will be held June 20, 2026 at 11:00am at Brownlie-Maxwell Funeral Home, 1010 Palmetto Avenue, Melbourne, 32901.
