In her 20s, Rachael didn't really want to be a mother. When she changed her mind in her 30s, she set out to be an incredible one. In her 60s, Rachael didn't really want to be Chair of the Coventry Philharmonic Choir. When she changed her mind, she resolved to be a brilliant one. If Rachael were going to take something on, she would always do it to the best of her abilities. Annoyingly for those around her, her abilities at most things were ridiculously high. The only known exceptions were her inability to ride a bike, understand organic chemistry or keep a houseplant alive for more than two months.

Before the age of Wikipedia, Rachael was the person you could turn to if you found yourself needing to know who wrote The Firebird, what the capital of Mali was or which Austen novel Mary Crawford was in. Her knowledge was built by the stacks of books she devoured each year. Her intellect was kept finely tuned by a love of cryptic crosswords and a series of challenging public sector jobs. All of this intelligence could make a person a dreary know-it-all, but Rachael's genuine interest in others made her a delight to spend time with. She loved to hear about other people's lives, especially their travel stories. If she wasn't traveling herself, she was always keen to hear about the trips and adventures that other people were having. She lived a thousand lives vicariously through books and great conversations.

Rachael had many things that she loved in life, including reading, traveling, singing, crafting, baking, walking in the countryside, and trying every new gin she could find. She was even happier when enjoying any of these pursuits with her daughter Rowena or her husband Patrick. She was stratospherically happy when she was able to spend time doing these activities with her family at Christmas, which was always the high point of her year. Her family were so grateful to spend one final Christmas with Rachael following her diagnosis in autumn 2021. Although the last few weeks of her life were difficult for her and her family, they were made bearable through the care and support of Coventry Myton Hospice. The treatment Rachael received at Myton gave her the dignified end of life she so deserved. She will be missed daily by those who loved her but remembered for how much joy she got out of life.