Links to newspaper obituaries

Kamloops Daily News, April 29, 2011
http://www.inmemoriam.ca/view-announcement-229534-rachel-andrea-nash.html

Toronto Globe and Mail, April 30, 2011
 http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/Deaths.20110430.93263393/BDAStory/BDA/deaths

Vancouver Sun, April 30, 2011
http://www.legacy.com/can-vancouver/Obituaries.asp?page=lifestory&personid=150657216

Rachel's obituary for the News, Sun, Province, and Globe and Mail

Dr. Rachel Andrea Nash passed away in her home in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Rachel leaves behind a strong and truly remarkable network of cherished family and friends, too numerous to mention individually.

Rachel is survived by her beautiful son, Dashiell "Dash" Reid; loving husband and partner, Cameron Reid; her ferociously dedicated mother, Sharon Nash; father, Bill Goddu; devoted sister, Willow Yamauchi; and Willow's family, Ron, Flynn, and Sophie.

She is predeceased by Kenneth Law, her beloved adopted father.

Rachel was born August 16, 1969, in New Westminster, BC. A graduate of Simon Fraser University and the University of Waterloo (MA, PhD), she was a much loved and respected professor of English at Thompson Rivers University from 1999 to present.

Rachel was a bright light, a magnificent mother, a leader to many, a superlative educator, and truly extraordinary human being. She was known for her humour, her big laugh, her keen insight and her buoyant spirit.

Rachel's Memorial Service will be held in the Grand Hall, Campus Activity Centre, at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, 2011.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Rachel's memory to the Callanish Society (www.callanish.org) or to the Rachel Nash Memorial Bursary (tru.ca/makeagift).

The full obituary is available online at:
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com/obituaries.php

Rachel's Obituary

Dr. Rachel Andrea Nash passed away in her home in the early morning hours of April 24th (Easter Sunday). Rachel passed quietly, peacefully, and without pain—all that we could have hoped. Rachel leaves behind a strong and truly remarkable network of family and friends, too numerous to mention individually, though let it be stated that she loved them all very dearly. Rachel is survived by her beautiful son, Dashiell “Dash” Reid, and loving husband and partner, Cameron Reid. Also, her ferociously dedicated mother, Sharon Nash; father, William Goodu; devoted sister, Willow Yamauchi, and Willow’s family, Ron, Flynn, and Sophie. Blessed with an enormous family, and extended family, that included many aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, cousins, and in-laws—a special call-out to brother-cousin John Goddu, grandma Fay Goddu, and the Reid family of Toronto, Jeanne, Don, Scott, and Derek, who loved Rachel like one of their own, from the very beginning—Rachel’s reach in life was far and wide, extending to her many treasured friends, among them, Angela, Heather, Karen, Carolyn, Lu, Kay, Jenifer, Inga, Leah, Ashok, and her brother-in-arms Martin Whittles—all of whom walked by her side through good and bad times. She is predeceased by Kenneth Law, her beloved adopted father.

Rachel was born in New Westminster, BC, in August 1969. A child of hippies, Rachel grew up in the West Coast counter-culture scene, moving from Vancouver to Powell River, and places still further removed and remote along the BC coast—‘off-grid,’ as they say. Her life took her from float-houses to nudist clubs, from fire walks to encounter groups. Still, of course, she endured; she prospered. A graduate of Simon Fraser University and the University of Waterloo (MA, PhD), Rachel was involved in student journalism and politics in her undergraduate days, but eventually found a home in academic life, becoming a well-respected colleague and scholar, with a particular penchant for collaborative practices in a profession that tends to promote the individual above the whole.

Rachel was a bright light, a spark. A bookish eldest daughter and grandchild, Rachel matured into a magnificent mother, a leader, a superlative educator, and truly extraordinary human being. She was known for her humor, her big laugh; also, her keen insight and buoyant spirit. But Rachel’s special gift was an ability to meet people on their own terms, in ways unique to that person. The honest and heartfelt connections she could generate, seemingly at will, with most everyone she came in contact with, would, at the end of the day, become a truly defining feature of her life. She was loved by everyone who knew her, and who relied so greatly on her friendship and often timely counsel; her passing is felt deeply by many. Put simply, the loss is immense.

Rachel’s memorial service will be held in the Grand Hall, Campus Activity Centre, at Thompson Rivers University, in Kamloops, at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Rachel’s memory to the Callanish Society www.callanish.org, a non-profit organization providing healing retreats and support programs for people living with cancer—an organization which had become very important to Rachel late in her life—or the Rachel Nash Memorial Bursary www.tru.ca/foundation/giving.html for women studying in the areas of language, composition, or communication.

Dean of Arts' Message

Dear Colleagues:

By now you will have heard from President Shaver about the untimely passing of our own Dr. Rachel Nash. Rachel died on Easter Sunday after a brave battle with cancer. She leaves behind a loving husband Dr. Cameron Reid and six year old son Dash.

I am saddened by the loss of Rachel, and know how devastating this must be to faculty, staff and students at TRU, as well as to the community in general.

It's my understanding that a memorial service is being planned for Saturday May 14 at 2PM in Grand Hall. At this time, we will collectively remember Rachel and celebrate her life.

All the best,

Michael

Michael D. Mehta, Ph.D.

Dean and Professor, Faculty of Arts

Thompson Rivers University

TRU President's Message

Dear TRU Community,

It's my sad task to report that Dr. Rachel Nash passed away Easter Sunday. Rachel graduated from the University of Waterloo with a PhD in Rhetoric; she began her full-time employment at the university in 1999, joining the English and Modern Languages Department as an Assistant Professor specializing in Rhetoric and Composition. She quickly distinguished herself as one of our outstanding scholars and a much-loved and respected teacher.

Among her academic accomplishments, she was co-applicant for two major SSHRC grants, she edited two books, wrote numerous articles and chapters, and collaborated as curator for an exhibition exploring the nature of artistic inquiry. Her doctoral dissertation, completed in 2003, focussed on "The Discourse of Canadian Multiculturalism."

She had been fighting cancer for the last four years, all the while maintaining an ongoing commitment to research and her students--and to her family, husband Cameron Reid (also a colleague, teaching with both English and Modern Languages and Journalism, Communication, and New Media) and son Dash (age 6).

Rachel and Cameron were married last week at a private ceremony in their home, with a small group of Rachel's family and friends in attendance. Her family has made arrangements for a memorial service to be held on Saturday, May 14, at 2 p.m. in the Grand Hall at TRU.  In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Rachel Nash Memorial Award being set up by the TRU Foundation or to the Callanish Society at www.callanish.org

Alan

Alan Shaver

President and Vice-Chancellor

Thompson Rivers University

Rachel's Service

Rachel's memorial service will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 14, at the Grand Hall, Campus Activity Centre, Thompson Rivers University. More details to follow.

Cameron's Message

Hello all,

My beloved Rachel passed away on Sunday morning (Easter), at 2:20 a.m. I was with her at the end, and she couldn’t have passed more peacefully and comfortably. The love and support I have felt from so many over this past week, coming to our Wedding (last Monday), bringing food, cooking and cleaning for us, sending flowers and well-wishes, doing my marking for me, or just visiting, has left me with an enormous sense of gratitude. I can never thank-you enough for giving me the time I needed to begin to process—a process sure to continue. But for now you should know how much you all—the well over 100 people who came to our house, and the 100s more who would have liked to come (but were with us in spirit, I know)—have helped me through this time. I absolutely know, however, that this was all about Rachel, and your support was entirely a testament to the person whom we all love so dearly. I know that Rachel would have wanted me to extend her warmest thanks and appreciation for all you have done for us. She was well aware of what was happening, right to the very last day as she extended a “welcome” to the Tibetan Monks who came to visit us, and fill our house with the most resonant chant you can imagine.

Now, I have a few plans that I wish to share with you. As of today, the house is quiet. Dash has gone to his grandmother’s. I plan to decompress for a few days and then head down to the coast later in the week for a small family memorial next weekend (in Mission). But what I wanted to say was that we are planning for a public memorial, hopefully on TRU campus (in the Great Hall), for some time on the weekend of May 14-15. I want you all to know that you and your families are sincerely welcome to attend this event; that is, we would like you all to come and share in a celebration of Rachel’s life. There will be a memorial service of about an hour, lots of food, lots of stories, lots of mingling. The emphasis will be on making connections with one another, and, of course, healing. More details to follow. Please note: There will be obituaries in the coming days in the Kamloops Daily News, Vancouver Sun, and Globe and Mail.

But finally what I would like to do at this time is make a small request: We have decided to make a book for Dash—a book that we will fill with stories, pictures, art, whatever, from all the people who knew and loved Rachel, or who were in some way touched by her life. My sincere request to you now is that you take some time over the coming days and reflect on your connection with Rachel. Prepare something, write or create something, of whatever length or style you wish, and bring it to the memorial, or—if you cannot attend—please send it to me over email (creid@tru.ca), or whatever. Please understand that I am extending this invitation to be part of this book to everyone, far and wide. This will not be a personal, family document, but rather an edited volume that we will assemble and make available to anyone who wishes a copy. Rachel’s reach in life was enormous, from colleagues, to friends (literally all over the world), to family and extended family, on and on, and we want, this summer, to create a professionally-prepared volume—the ‘book of Rachel,’ if you will—to give to as many people as would like. The volume should cover everything from the humorous and absurd to the heartfelt, and everything in between. Again, this is a book for everyone who loved Rachel to tell their stories—a book that Dash and I (and I know many others) will cherish for the rest of our lives. So I am sincerely asking you all to participate. Don’t think that your words and thoughts are unimportant at this time, or less important than anyone else’s. I assure you, they are not. Submissions can be anonymous, if you wish, and names omitted, unless related to the stories told. I am very happy, though, to make mention of those who knew and loved Rachel. So again, whatever you deem fit to bring to this work, I want to see it. You have absolute free-reign, and I trust your judgment.

My plan, then, is to take some time off work this summer, to travel a bit, and figure out what’s next. My communications will be sporadic, but know that I am buoyed by your love and support. And please pass this email onto whomever might not have received it. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for us. Please know that Dash and I will be ok. Peace and Love.

Cameron.