January 19, 1937 – January 25, 2026
On January 25, 2026, after a long battle with congestive heart failure, Rachel Trezize Wimer passed away in her beloved Lake Helen home, surrounded by her family.
She was 89 years old.
Rachel was born on January 19, 1937 in St Augustine, Florida to Robert Trezize and Anna Laura Cook Trezize. Rachel was of Minorcan descent through her maternal grandmother Louise Rose Pellicer Cook and she lived across the street from her maternal grandparents in St Augustine until Robert and Anna moved to Deland in 1946. Rachel’s love for horses began in childhood with her father buying her first horse, Bess. She and Bess spent many hours riding the pastures and orange groves that surrounded DeLand.
Rachel attended DeLand schools for 11 years and graduated from DeLand High School in 1956. She was very active in high school including being a member of the Dramatics Cub, the Wheelettes, Glee Club and three chorus groups – Melodears, Sextet and Mixed Chorus. During her senior year, she was elected FFA Sweetheart and Homecoming Hostess.
Following high school and her first marriage, Rachel moved back to DeLand and began work as a teller at Barnett Bank while raising her three young children. In 1963, she began working in the Volusia County Clerk’s Office, eventually becoming a deputy Circuit Court clerk. As a deputy clerk, she developed a highly respected reputation in the DeLand and Daytona legal communities and in 1979, Rachel was unanimously chosen by the Circuit Court judges out of a pool of 100 candidates to be the first woman to hold the position of Court Administrator of the 7th Judicial District, which encompasses the county court systems in Flagler, Putnam, St Johns and Volusia counties. She went on to hold that position until she retired on March 31, 1993.
It was in the latter half of the 1960s when Rachel’s dear friend Sandra Cooper introduced her to John Wimer Sr. Rachel fondly remembered being “not real impressed” with John at first but they swiftly won each other’s hearts and were married on June 13, 1970. Rachel and John spent 50 wonderful years together pouring their love and energy into their beloved Lake Helen home, spending many wonderful summers in their beautiful home in Ridgway, CO, entertaining a steady flow of friends and family visiting both places and traveling all over the country.
Rachel also found time to pursue her love of acting by volunteering her acting chops with DeLand Shoestring Theatre. From 1968 through 1978 she was cast in at least ten DeLand Players productions including the role of Muriel Tate in Act Two (Visitor From Hollywood) of “Plaza Suite,” the role of Gillian Holroyd (along with her cat Dink ) in “Bell, Book and Candle” and the role of Elaine Navazio in “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers.”
Rachel was predeceased by her loving husband, John, who passed on July 17, 2020, her mother and father and her two older sisters Anne Duggan Cyr and Mary Elizabeth Duggan DePew. She is survived by her children from her first marriage – Lynn Andrews Woods (Michael), Tracy Andrews Beliveau and Daniel Andrews; John’s children from his first marriage – John Wimer Jr. (Valinda), Matthew Wimer and Clayton Wimer (Sonni); four grandchildren – Lora Batchelder, Genesis Evans, Justin Wimer and Lindsey Wimer Meacham (Phillip); seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Rachel is also survived by many special friends who loved her and will miss her dearly.
Ouray County Plaindealer • 2026
