Some people never meet a stranger, or, if they do, the stranger is not a stranger for long .… that was Rachel’s guiding principle. Rachel had a knack for connections, making them, remembering them and celebrating them. Family legend is that, wherever we went, Rachel knew someone. This was true throughout her life, no matter where we went in Washington, D.C., where she grew up, or in other states we traveled, Rachel would find someone she knew!

Surrounded by love and at the age of 37, Rachel died peacefully at home on September 6, 2021, after battling Metastatic Breast Cancer for almost two years. Rachel was born June 29, 1984 at Bergstrom Air Force Base Hospital in Austin, Texas. She survived many health challenges throughput her life including Neuroblastoma as a toddler.   Her sense of determination served her well all her days.

After graduation from W. T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, VA, Rachel studied and received training as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) from Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville, VA. She worked as a CNA in both Northern Virginia and in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk areas. Rachel was gifted in the care of older patients and particularly those with memory issues. She always said she felt privileged to care for those who had lived long and done much.  Part of her gift involved never forgetting the importance of fun. As The Little Prince said, “All grown ups were once children, but only a few of them remember it.” Rachel never forgot, and she shared this outrageous and exuberant sense of life with those she cared for, the friends she made, and the people she loved.

Rachel is survived by her loving partner, Jessica McKinney (Jenna and Malaya), her parents, Virginia and William Love, her brother, Robinson (Krischelle), and nieces, Penelope and Cleo. She is also survived by her Maternal Grandmother, Eleanor Womack (Richard), aunts, Laura Colebeck (Elliott), Eleanor Roberson (Darrell), and Rory Qualls as well as many cousins and the friends she loved as family.

The service honoring Rachel’s life will be held at St Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1009 Graydon Ave Norfolk, VA, on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at 11:00 AM with a time for greetings on the lawn afterwards (weather permitting). COVID precautions including masks and social distancing will be in place.

We would especially like to thank the staff of Virginia Beach General Hospital 2 South who cared for Rachel during many admissions as one of their own and Heartland Hospice who, with generous compassion, carried Rachel and the family through.  In lieu of flowers, Rachel would like memorial donations to be made to either St Andrews Episcopal Church in Norfolk, VA or St Jude’s Children Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.