Rachel Sarah Nash
She elevated the lives of all who knew her
It is with profound sorrow that we share news of the death of our beautiful, witty, intelligent, caring, and warm daughter Rachel Sarah Nash on December 2, 2022, of metastatic triple negative breast cancer. She was only 35 years old.
When she was initially diagnosed in August 2020, she handled most of her care by herself or with the help of friends, driving herself to chemo, doctor appointments, and surgeries. Once the cancer spread to her brain and other organs in January 2022, she came home to us in Virginia from Baltimore where she had spent the last 12 years. Somehow, throughout her ordeal she maintained her sense of humor, which was always a hallmark of her personality.
In Baltimore she was a secondary school teacher for the Baltimore City Public Schools and most recently a Literacy Coach, training classroom teachers. Rachel was universally admired by her former teachers, colleagues, and students alike. A 2005 graduate of JEB Stuart High School in Falls Church (now Justice High School), she majored in Creative Writing at the University of Mary Washington, graduating in 2010. While in college, she tutored for Academics Plus, rising to the position of Area Administrator. Through tutoring, she discovered her love of teaching and upon graduation applied for and was accepted to Baltimore City Teaching Residency Program. With only a summer of training under her belt, she began teaching high school English in the Fall of 2010 with great success. In 2018, she earned a Master of Education at Johns Hopkins University School of Education, specializing in School Family and Community Collaboration as well as Urban Education, and Administration and Supervision.
Rachel had an intense curiosity about the world and loved to travel. In her short life, she visited 14 countries around the world. She had an ambition to visit all 50 states, and she almost achieved that goal. She drove herself on 2 very long road trips, one coast-to-coast, mostly camping in her car. Her trips with her family and on her own were some of her happiest memories. Another defining characteristic of her persona was a passion for social justice.
Rachel was pre-deceased by her younger brother Scott in 2020. She is survived by her parents, Sarah and John, her beloved Labradoodles, Mowgli and Irie, her Aunt Pat and Uncle John, her cousins Derek and Emily, and six second cousins. At Rachel’s request there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The American Cancer Society – Breast Cancer Donation.
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