Santa Clara University

Robert Theodore Faubert M.S. ’79, 66, of Purcellville, VA, beloved husband, father, brother and friend, passed away on May 8, 2013 at Inova Loudoun Hospital after a brief illness. Ted spent most of his professional life working in the defense industry for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Corporation, and more recently for TASC Corporation in Chantilly, VA. Ted was an avid golfer and enjoyed scuba diving and helping with his children's sport and other activities. He was a loving and devoted husband and father and will be greatly missed. Newsletter Ted was born on October 26, 1946 in El Paso, Texas to the late Victorand Clara Faubert. He graduated from Washington State University with an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and later earned his Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Santa Clara University in California. Ted is survived by his wife of twenty three years Lorie Faubert of Purcellville, VA their two children Daniel and Claudia Faubert of Purcellville, VA four brothers Lawrence Faubert of Bend, OR: Charles Faubert of Richland, WA Richard Faubert of San Jose, CA David Faubert of Richland, WA one sister Victoria Fish of Livermore, CA and nine nieces and nephews. 

Natalia Ortiz Mead ’79 was born on April 23, 1923, and passed away on December 26, 2012. A resident of Sunnyvale, she married William E. Mead Jr. and raised two daughters, two sons, and two grandsons. She served in the U.S. Army as an aircraft mechanic, 1943-1944. A retired WWII Veteran, she was an alumnus of Santa Clara University and a retired English teacher. Mead was a dedicated 49ers and Giants fan. She coached childrens' sports. Home was always open to friends. Survived by son Michael, daughter Marguerite, and 8 grandchildren. 

Isamu "Sam" Yoshida J.D. ’79 passed away peacefully July 4, 2012 at the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital in California. He was born in Nagoya, Japan, in December 1945 and permanently moved to the U.S. with his mother, stepfather and siblings in 1960. He graduated in 1964 from Rancho High School in Las Vegas, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from March 1966 to December 1968. Sam was wounded in Vietnam, in the harrowing hill fighting during the first battle of Khe Sanh, in the spring of 1967 by exploding shrapnel which left him with a small blind spot in his right eye.

In 1972, he married Gail Etsuko Hiroshima, a native of San Francisco, in a civil ceremony in Las Vegas. During his 40 years of marriage, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1973 with a B.S. Degree from the College of Engineering, received his Professional Engineer's License Civil in Engineering in 1976, graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1979, and passed the California State BAR Examination in 1979. Besides being a member of the California State BAR, he was also a member of The American Society of Civil Engineers, American Military Engineers Society, Wilderness Unlimited, and had briefly been a participating member of Rotary International.

His career path led him to work at the following institutions and businesses: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Western Division in San Bruno, Calif.; Officer in Charge of Construction Yokosuka, Japan, as Head of Acquisition; Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwestern Division San Diego, as Director of Contracts, General Services Administration (GSA), as Director of Contracts; GSA, as Director of Real Estate; Parsons Brinckerhoff San Jose office, as Contracts Manager; Los Angeles Unified School District, as Director of Facilities Contracts; Seville Group, Inc. as Senior VP and General Counsel; and finally back at Parsons Brinckerhoff International Engineering Firm San Francisco as Legal Manager, Western Region.

He was preceded in passing by his mother, Mitsuko Yoshida Lauver; brother, HN James Lauver, USN; and stepfather, TSgt John T. Lauver, USAF. Sam is survived by his devoted and dearly beloved wife, Gail; beloved companion cat, Velvet; and his loving family, sister, Bonnie (Hugh) Murtaugh; niece, Erin; and nephews, Devin and Bryan; brother, Jan (Barbie) Lauver J.D. ’81; and nephews, John-Matthew and James; brother, Dennis (Karen) Lauver; and nieces, Rebecca and Meghan.

One of the last things he told Gail was that he was eternally grateful for his wonderful life and all the many precious and lasting relationships that he had made since his middle school years in Japan. 

Gerald A. Kimble Jr. J.D. ’79, 69, died September 21, 2012, in Colorado Springs. A retired Naval Officer and Attorney, he was born on August 26, 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio to Gerald and Katurah Kimble. Jerry graduated in Engineering Physics from the University of Kansas, 1969, and was promoted from enlisted to Naval Officer, serving 21 years as a Naval Flight Officer, retiring as Lt. Commander. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Santa Clara,1979, and practiced as a Prosecutor for the District Attorney, as a County Attorney prosecuting child abuse and neglect; and for both offices started recovery of welfare fraud and collections for arrears of child support. During private practice, he fought to end child abuse as Guardian ad Litem for abused or neglected children and disabled adults. He proudly served as the first board President of Pikes Peak Family Connections, teaching nurturing classes for court ordered families and establishing KPC Kid's Place, a crisis respite center for children. During his illness, he volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate to continue his work against abuse. In 2009, the El Paso County Bar honored him with the Lohman Award for his work to protect children. Surviving him are his wife, Cheryl Kimble, daughter, Jami Kimble and her husband Evan McLain, his two grandsons, Colm and Rafferty McLain, as well as his siblings, JoAn, Fleda, Phyllis, Jean, June, Harold, Roger, Tom, Vicky, and Jim. 

Frederick Louis John Leverenz Jr. M.S. ’79, age 69, of Fairview, Texas passed away January 30, 2013. He was born February 9, 1943 in El Campo, Texas to Frederick Louis John Leverenz, Sr. and Mary Louise (Beaty) Leverenz. Frederick holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a MS in engineering from the University of Santa Clara. Frederick was a project manager for Battelle’s Process Safety and Integrated Risk Management group. He had over 35 years’ experience in system safety and risk assessment. He has been involved in the application and teaching of risk/hazard analysis methods since 1972. His experiences cover aerospace, nuclear power, and the chemical process industries. He managed and participated technically in hazard/risk analyses, methods development, and reliability database management. Leverenz was a key author of AIChE’s CCPS’ “Guidelines of Hazard Evaluation Procedures.” The last course Leverenz wrote was Advance Concepts for Process Hazard Analysis, which is still used today.He is survived by his wife, Gail Annette Leverenz of Fairview, Texas; daughters, Michelle Annette Crist of Dallas, Texas, Jennifer Marie Davidson (Aaron) of Dallas, Texas; grandchildren, Savannah Grace Davidson, Annabel Marie Davidson and Emery Katherine Davidson; brothers, James Leverenz of Seattle, Washington, Tom Leverenz of Seattle, Washington, Jerry Leverenz of Germany; sister, Lyne Prémi of Modesto, California.He was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick and Mary Leverenz.

Page Humphrey Vernon J.D. ’81 died Wednesday, February 20, 2013, in her home. It was a beautiful sunny morning, much like Page herself.
Page was born in Warsaw, NY, April 30, 1952 where she grew up with her parents Harriott Page Humphrey and Wolcott J. "Bud" Humphrey Jr., both deceased, and five brothers, Wolcott J. "Jay", deceased, Peter, John, Tom, and Mark Otis. In a house with five brothers, who called her "Princess", she learned to hold her own and was known for her sharp elbows.
Page loved her brothers, their wives, and families. She was the beloved "Aunt Page" to her nieces and nephews whom she loved deeply: Wolcott, Jamie (husband Todd and her children), Chris, Page, Katie, Thomas, Joe, Arielle, Haley, Jessica, and Danielle. She was overjoyed to spend time with these and her Summerlin kin, John, Tina, and John, Jr., at their family reunion in January 2013.  Page and her husband Jim were married October 10, 1981 in Warsaw, NY. They have resided at their home in northern Chatham County since 1983. Their children, Benjamin Tyler and Amos Alexander were born in 1984 and 1985 respectively and attended Chatham County schools through graduation. Ben is a law student at the University of Colorado-Boulder Law School. Amos is an actor and writer in Brooklyn, NY.  She was a loved member of the Vernon family, a daughter to Jim's mother Nancy and his father Charles, a friend and sister to her husband's siblings Eleanor, Catharine, Fox, and Patrick and their spouses. She cherished her time with her nieces Allison, Susanna, and Kate. Page enjoyed countless wonderful days with her family at their mountain cabin, "Sandy Bottom," in Celo, NC.  Over the course of more than thirty years in and around Chatham County, NC, Page built a large community of friends, with whom she enjoyed music, dancing, food, and the outdoors. She especially loved her time spent at the beach, in the mountains, and in the yard with the "Five Families."  Page graduated from Trinity College in 1974, and Santa Clara University School of Law in 1981. She began her career in Chapel Hill in 1981 as assistant district attorney for Orange and Chatham Counties. While raising a family, she wrote for the UNC School of Government before joining the law firm of Barber, Bradshaw and Vernon in 1991 where she practiced until 2002. Her special interest in children and education then led her to the Juvenile Criminal Law Clinic at the UNC School of Law and later Duke University School of Law's Children's Education Law Center. After several years as a volunteer guardian ad litem, Page was elected District Court Judge and served from 2008 through 2011. The judge's robe fit Judge Vernon perfectly and she wore it with dignity, grace, and professionalism. Even her closest friends found it easy to call her "Judge". 

Mary Nell (Applegate) Rogers MBA '81 of Los Altos passed away Sept. 1, 2012, after a long illness. Born Jan. 26, 1934, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mary studied electrical engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Upon graduating, she worked for General Electric in New York and in 1955 married Robert Rogers MBA '74, a fellow engineer from GE. Three years later she "retired" to raise a family and in 1961 the family moved west, settling in Los Altos. In 1976 Mary returned to work as an engineer, joining Lockheed Missiles & Space. Mary also volunteered for the Girl Scouts and was an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, eventually holding high offices for both organizations and gaining national recognition as an advocate for women in science. In 1981 she received her MBA from Santa Clara University. Upon her second retirement, in 1998, Mary spent much of her time gardening; she also enjoyed puzzles and needlepoint. Mary is survived by her children, Bob Jr., Beverly, Beth and Molly; and four grandchildren.

John Patrick Mirch ’81 May 15, 1959 - October 27, 2012 Resident of San Jose--a great man, a father of two, a loving husband, a brother and a son. John Patrick Mirch was born May 15, 1959 to his loving parents Eileen and Patrick Mirch ’55 in San Francisco, CA. He enjoyed this life and shared that joy with all of those around him including his three sisters, Mary Ellen Mirch, Kathy (Hal) Hainley and Patty (Scott) Weber, his two brothers Joe (Irene) Mirch and Michael Mirch, and numerous nieces and nephews. On April 24th, 1982 he married the love of his life, Laurie Borello ’80. Together they raised two beautiful sons Matthew and David. Something can be said about his spirit - he bravely fought cancer for two years, smiling and joking until the very end. The generosity and kindness he had for others showed in the immense love and support that was bestowed upon him in his final days. He passed peacefully in his sleep with his family by his side and now resides with our Lord in heaven. He will be dearly missed.

David Louis Normandin '81, resident of San Jose, passed away suddenly of natural causes on November 20. He was known for his generosity, heart of gold, and spontaneous free spirit.   David was born June 1, 1957, in Colorado Springs, Colo., graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory in 1975, and earned a business degree from Santa Clara University in 1981.  He worked at Normandin Chrysler Jeep and Dodge in the Customer Service Department for many years, and spent his recent years caring for his two children as well as working as a jack-of-all-trades. He touched the lives of those who knew him with his kindness, generosity and sense of adventure. He often pulled up to his family members' driveways in his van, blasting classic rock music and inviting them along to catch frogs with him. He had a deep love for nature, and enjoyed visiting Yosemite for fishing trips. David approached the prospect of helping others with unbridled enthusiasm, from moving his niece into her college dorm room to spending hours painting fences or working on projects at his siblings' and friends' houses. He also had a sharp focus for creativity - the Christmas lights that adorned his home each year became famous throughout the neighborhood. Visits with David would usually involve some great barbeque (lots of meat), plenty of laughter, and at least one adventure.  David is survived by his wife Michelle, and is the adored father of Tristan and Sarah. He is also survived by his parents Lon '81 and Peggy Normandin and siblings Caren Normandin '79, Lisa McHugh '81, Mark Normandin, Diane Azevedo, and Paul Normandin. He was a beloved uncle to 16 nieces and nephews. He will be sorely missed.

Anne Jeanette Anderson M.A. ’81, 79 years old, of El Granada, Calif., died on January 21. She was born on May 2, 1933, in Worchester, Mass. to Gilbert Ralph LaPoint and Gladys May Porter of Westborough, MA. She graduated from the New England Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing on Oct. 10, 1954 and subsequently married William Anderson on Oct. 30, 1954. She then spent two years working as an RN followed by 19 years raising a family. She graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing on June 8, 1973 followed by a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of California in San Francisco on June 25, 1978. During the time she pursued additional degrees in nursing, she was working as nurse and developed a special interest in the problems of the elderly. This led to an additional Master of Arts degree in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling from the University of Santa Clara June 11, 1981 after which she worked several years in private practice with Menlo Counseling Associates. Anne is survived by her husband, William, by three children, David of Racine, WI., Carolyn of Champaign, IL and Kevin of El Granada, CA, and by four grandchildren, Geoffrey and Britta in WI and Sarah and Christopher in IL. Anne's greatest legacy is the love and care she lavished on her family. She is also survived by her siblings, Marilyn of VA and Gilbert of FL. Anne's love and care was also lavished on her patients and clients. She went into one of the caring professions at the beginning of her carrier and continued in them throughout her life. She was motivated by the love of Christ and what God had done for her in the person of Jesus Christ. From her high school days she had a desire to serve as the hands of Christ in caring for the needs of people.

Daniel "Danny" P. Lawless ’82—our beloved father, son and brother—left this life and entered eternal life on Friday, February 22, 2013. Danny was born in Phoenix on August 7, 1960. He attended Brophy College Prep and graduated from the University of Santa Clara in 1982. Danny worked his entire career as a financial consultant. Danny is survived by his beautiful children, Dylan and Megan, his former wife and mother of their children, Hallie Lawless, his parents David and Ellen Lawless and siblings, Tom Lawless '77, J.D. '82 and Cathy Gaudreau (Bill). Danny was a great golfer and two time winner of The Men's Club Championship at Arizona Country Club. He was also a life member of the Phoenix Thunderbirds. Danny loved life, his family and his many friends. He will be sorely missed but never forgotten. Our family appreciates the enormous outpouring of love for Danny. Rest in peace our beloved Danny!

Roger A. Parshall J.D. ’83, passed away on Feb. 8, 2013, in Arcata Calif. After his graduation, he practiced law in Humboldt County, originally as a public defender. In recent years, he came to support the Occupy Movement locally. A native of Detroit, Mich., he is survived by his younger sister, Nanci Parshall. He is remembered as a good friend by all his law school classmates.

Donna L. Hasbrouck MBA ’83, June 13, 1956 to July 12, 2012 Resident of Los Gatos. Donna L. Hasbrouck passed on after a courageous journey with cancer. Donna achieved a business degree from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Santa Clara University. She retired from Intel after 25 years working in both finance and human resources. Donna is survived by her father and his wife, Leo and Louise Hasbrouck, her sister and husband, Lisa and Jerry Roth, her sister Terri McLennan, her brother and his wife, Steven and Veronica Hasbrouck and her aunt Judy. Theresa, her mother, passed on in 1995.

Gary Skinner MBA '84 passed away on March 16, 2011. He was from Chico, Calif., and a graduate of Chico High School and U.C. Davis. His obituary appeared in The Herald newspaper in Monterey County, where he lived for the last 28 years of his life. It also appeared in the Chico Enterprise-Record.

Miguel S. Demapan J.D. ’85, retired chief justice of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, passed away on June 30, 2012, in Saipan. During the course of his nearly 20-year career, Demapan served as both a Judge Pro Tempore in the Superior Court of Guam and Justice Pro Tempore of the Supreme Court of Guam. Chief Justice of Guam F. Philip Carbullido said, “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Chief Justice Miguel S. Demapan.  He served the judiciaries of the CNMI, Guam, and Micronesia with integrity and fairness. His colleagues throughout the Marianas and Micronesia had the deepest respect and admiration for his untiring commitment to the Rule of Law. I join my colleagues in the CNMI, Guam, and Micronesia in extending our deepest sympathy to Frances and their children.”

Marion Roberta (Danskin) Milligan M.A. '85, age 77 of Valparaiso, formerly of Sunnyvale, CA, passed away Saturday, October 13, 2012. She was born in Gary, IN, the daughter of Robert and Elsie Fern Danskin (nee Willmoth). Survived by her husband, David Milligan of Valparaiso; sister, Margaret (George) Yetsko and aunt, Virginia Park, both of Hobart. Marion graduated from Emerson High School, Class of 1953. She received her B.S. Degree in Nursing from Indiana University and her Master's Degree from the University of Santa Clara, California. Marion retired as Head Nurse at NASA AMES, Moffett Field, CA. She lived in California for 38 years. Marion loved golf and was a world traveler.

William Bede Morrissey ’89, 46, passed away suddenly on January 30, 2013 at the Raymond G. Murphy Veterans' Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Born on January 7, 1967, Bill attended Our Lady of the Assumption School and Aquinas High School before being awarded a full ROTC Scholarship to Santa Clara University in 1985. He graduated in 1989 with a degree in Political Science and a commission as a US Army officer. A decorated veteran of Desert Storm and Airborne Graduate, Bill was a Captain in the U.S. Army for 8 years which included assignments in Turkey & South Korea. He was a compassionate person who loved nature, was especially fond of dogs, and was always on the alert for opportunities to help others. Bill was preceded in death by his father, Jere Morrissey J.D. '56 and his cousin Thomas J. Morrissey. He is survived by his mother Patricia Morrissey, brother, John Morrissey; son, Robert Bede Morrissey and Robert's mother Marjorie Jorgensen. Also surviving him are his uncle, Brian (Janet) Morrissey '62, his cousins, Joan, Michael, Sean (Veronica) Morrissey and many other relatives and friends. A bright light has disappeared from us. We are the poorer for his absence.

 William J. "Bill" Enos ’90, 44, of Carmichael, CA, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, February 22, 2013. He is survived by his loving wife, Jennifer and their three beautiful daughters, Natalie (13), Sarah (10), Shannon (8); his parents Bill and Sally Enos, brother Mark '83 (Heather), sister Karen, and 9 nieces and nephews.  Bill was born in Redding, CA on August 23, 1968, graduated from Rio Americano HS and Santa Clara Univ. where he played baseball, was captain, and was awarded the team MVP while making the all conference team in his junior and senior years. He was active in Carmichael Girls Softball as a manager, coach and served as league president for 2 years. He will be sadly missed by his family, numerous loyal friends, co-workers and clients of NDS.

Robert J. Radford M.S. ’91, 54 of Fremont, formerly of Somis, passed away on August 1, 2012. Survived by his sons, Bryan 23, Nolan 18, and his siblings, Janet and David as well as his double-first cousins, John, Steve, and Bill and his former wife, Debra. Rob graduated from Moorpark College, UC Santa Barbara, and Santa Clara University with degrees in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Finite Element Analysis (FEA). His favorite hobbies were golfing, surfing, soccer, hiking, and brewing his own beer.

Linda Crockett M.A. ’91, 67 years old, lost her life in a tragic automobile accident on July 26. 

Born on July 17, 1945, in Palo Alto, where she grew up, Linda received her B.A. degree from San Jose State University in 1976. She built a successful sales and marketing career in the publishing industry. In 1991, though, she made a major career change after earning her MFT master's from Santa Clara University.

Andrew John Solomon ’91 passed away quietly on Dec. 5, 2012, following a prolonged battle with brain cancer. Andy was a longtime pillar of the Fresno community having grown up in Fresno where he attended Bullard High School and went on to Santa Clara University, where he was their first baseman all four years. Following college, Andy returned to Fresno to complete a 25 year career in commercial real estate, during which he made innumerable friends, supported community improvements, and was admired and respected by everyone who came in contact with him. Andy, together with his family, fought against his illness for over five years. Andy's incredible strength and will to live resulted in him becoming one of the longest living survivors of full brain radiation treatment. We may all take some solace in the fact that Andy's participation in numerous experimental cancer treatment programs may help to improve the chances for future patients to possibly survive this now incurable disease. During this time he also felt a strong calling to reach out to others in hope of helping them face their own personal challenges. Andy's great love of baseball continued to the very end and was exceeded only by his love for his family and Faith in God. The family would like to thank the staff for the great dedication and care Andy received at both the University of California San Francisco, the Helen Diller Family Cancer Center; and Hinds Hospice. He leaves behind a loving wife Monique; and his two devoted daughters, Meg and Tess. In addition to the young family he leaves behind, there is an extended and devoted family that will continue to morn his loss. He also leaves behind his mother and father, Lew and Linda Solomon, of Fresno; his three siblings, Jeff Solomon '84 and his wife Carolyn of Tualatin, Or., Jim Solomon and his wife Melissa of Fresno, Susie Jones and her husband Tom of Sacramento; and numerous aunts; uncles; cousins; nephews and nieces. 

Paul Siggins M.S. ’94 was a resident of Santa Clara. Born September 21, 1960 in San Jose, died at home in Santa Clara July 28, 2012 of melanoma cancer after a brave and valiant 6 month fight with family and friends at his side. He is survived by his devoted wife, soul mate, and best friend of 21 years Karen Siggins. Loving son of Hugh (deceased), and Frances Siggins. Caring brother of Carol (deceased), Gary (Barbara), Bruce (Laura). Cherished son in law of Irene Capurso. Brother in Law of John & Alan Field. Dear nephew of Don & Kathy Sindel. Uncle of many nieces and nephews. Lifelong friend of David Lowery. Paul was warm, patient & kind. He had a loving, good natured disposition & effervescent zest for life. Although death took him at age 51, Paul lived life to the fullest and experienced more than most people do over a long lifetime. He & Karen traveled the world together. He especially loved cruising, reading, & watching the 49ers with his BFF Dave. He was a huge animal lover. Paul was a well respected & talented Electrical Engineer who enjoyed his job. He rec'd his BSEE from San Jose State, and his MSEE from Santa Clara University. Paul was most recently employed by Alara, Intellidx, and Thermo Fisher.

Thatcher Bryant Perkins ’95 of Woodinville, a much-loved son, brother, husband, and father, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 26. He was born in Tarrytown, N.Y. on July 5, 1972. Thatcher graduated from Woodinville High School and Santa Clara University. He is survived by his grandparents, John and Jeanne Quinn; his parents, Dennis and Robin Perkins; his brothers, Chris, John and Patrick; and his own family: Aimee, daughters Parker and Morgan, and son Brenner. Thatcher's appetite for adventure and dynamic humor were second only to his love for his children. Parker shares his zest and spirit, Brenner carries his daddy's boyish charm, and Morgan has Thatcher's smile and laughing eyes. He lives in each moment we remember his life and his love for us.

Rachel Brant Peres ’95, a resident of San Jose, entered into peaceful rest at age 39 on October 13, 2012 in San Jose after a courageous and inspiring 20-month battle with leukemia. Rachel was born March 6, 1973 at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. As a military "brat" she lived in 5 states prior to moving to Davis, Calif. in 1981. She graduated from Davis Sr. High School in 1991 where she played varsity soccer and volleyball. She earned a B.A. in Communications from Santa Clara University in 1995 and completed a semester abroad in Vienna, Austria. Rachel was an amazing writer and worked as a Public Relations and Marketing Specialist in Silicon Valley and she also started a small business selling her hand-made felt creations online and to boutiques in the Bay Area.

Rachel was married to Robert Peres in Santa Clara on September 17, 2000 and leaves two children Evan age 7 and Katherine age 5. As a family they enjoyed traveling around California and vacations to Hawaii. Rachel was active in the Hacienda Elementary School parent group and volunteering in her children's classrooms.

Rachel will be missed by many and forgotten by few. Survived by her loving husband Rob; her two beloved children, Evan and Kate: mother Linda Brant: stepfather William Brant (Barbara): stepmother Lesley Funk: brothers Ryan Brant (Tiffany), Dan Brant (Lindsay) and Jon Brant; and 10 adoring nieces and nephews. Rachel was predeceased by her father Warren K. Funk.

Rachel chronicled her illness on her Caringbridge blog which drew in thousands of readers who were inspired by her wit and courage.