Rae Banigan/Cole

Dr. Rae Banigan/Cole 08/02/1949 – 11/24/2024 

Rae Banigan, beloved mother of Todd Cole, 44, of Lunenburg MA and her loving husband of 44 years Bill Cole, 80, of Palmer MA, passed away comfortably in her home after a two year battle with Frontotemporal Dementia on 11/24/2024.

Rae was born in Manhattan, NY in 1949 to Raymond and Ethel Banigan. Rae attended high school in the Bronx. She worked her way up earning multiple degrees at several colleges on her way to receiving her Ph.D in Speech/Language Pathology. She went on to have a remarkable forty year career pioneering preventionof language disorders in children, a family-centered service with superior knowledge, clinical expertise, and patient success in private practice. She provided assessment, consultation, and direct service to children in 35 school districts in MA and CT. She is the internationally acclaimed author of “A Family-Centered Approach to Developing Communication: Prevention, Screening and Facilitation” and the video-program “Talking is Sharing”. Her research and clinical work has been published in professional journals including the Journal of Child Language and Human Communication. She has been featured in television, radio, newspapers, and magazines including a story in the American Baby Magazine. As an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts, she was a finalist for the Distinguished Teacher Award in 1999. Her passion and dedication to help children will be remembered most by thousands of parents.

Rae was a devoted mother to Todd, her pride and joy. In his early years, she would take him on daily adventures and experiences in art, music, dance, and sports that helped shaped Todd into the person he is today. She spent countless hours to educate, support and love him. As Todd grew older, they traveled the world together and she never missed a single game that he played. Even when Todd was in college playing baseball at Umass Lowell, she was there supporting the team running the concession stand and selling raffle tickets. She was the most caring and supportive mother he could have ever asked for. 

Rae had a passion for performing, dancing, and singing. This passion was shared with her mom and sister and passed down to her grandkids Ryan and Avery. Her carefree, outgoing, and spontaneous personality was loved by everyone that she encountered. 

Rae was preceded in death by her parents Raymond and Ethel, and is survived by her husband Bill Cole, her son Todd Cole and Ashley Brawn, grandchildren Ryan and Avery Cole, her sister and husband Buddy and Bonnie Desfosse, her two nieces Colette Ferris and Christine Marciano, grand-nieces, Caitlin and Skylar Marciano, and grand-nephews, Ryan and Ian Ferris who will never forget the love she brought to their lives.

There is a Celebration of Life Service on 12/07/24 starting at 11:30 AM at the 2nd Congregational Church 1080 Pleasant St, Palmer, MA. There will be lunch following the service at the Steaming Tender Restaurant 28 Depot St, Palmer, MA. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration at theaftd.org in her name.