John Anthony Rau was born on May 28, 1935, in Albany, New York, the only son of Giles Rau and Elizabeth Krey Rau. John attended Our Lady of Angels elementary school and Vincentian High School, both in Albany. John obtained a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute in 1958. He went on to get an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1967 and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the Oregon Graduate Institute in 1986.

John spent most of his working career in the aero-space industry, working for the Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington and for Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in Connecticut. He also worked in research at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York. John served as the first President of the local chapter of the Air Pollution Control Association in Portland, Oregon

In 1967, John married his wife of 56 years, Marie Therese (Judy) Costa Rau in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

John loved participatory sports, including downhill skiing, handball, raquetball, tennis, and kayaking. He and Judy enjoyed traveling to many places around the world, including the former Soviet Union and Uzbekistan, where he helped to build a Peace Park. John was an excellent chef, and offered many dinners at charity auctions, including St. Andrew Catholic Church and Friends of Chamber Music fund raisers. His artistic talents showed in woodworking projects and in artistic metal sculpture and photography. He was very proud of his various trophies awarded at Toastmaster speaking contests.

John is survived by his wife, Judy, his sister, Elizabeth Gerrity and brother-in-law Michael Gerrity of Gansevoort, New York, and four nephews. He was also deeply loved by Judy's large family.

A memorial Mass in celebration of his life will be held at St. Andrew Catholic Church in N.E. Portland, Oregon at 11:00 am on November 4, 2023, followed by a reception.