Rachel Ward French, 55, of West Lafayette passed away at 2:55 am Thursday at IU Arnett Hospital. She was born October 30, 1963 in Huntsville, AL to Charles and Caroline Ward. She was a graduate of Rich South H.S., and received her B.S. from Purdue University and her Masters in Education from Indiana Wesleyan. She and Michael French became partners in marriage on December 18, 1982 in Park Forest, IL.
Rachel taught math at Oakland High School and Jefferson High School, had taught at Indiana Business College, and spent many summers teaching math for Upward Bound. Rachel served as co-president of the Lafayette Education Association and served as a delegate to the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly. Rachel was always there for her family, her friends, and her colleagues. First and foremost, she was always there for her students.
Rachel is survived by her parents, of Rogers, AR, her husband, her daughter Falon Marie French of Madison, WI, her son Douglas Charles (Meaghan) French of Charleston, SC, three sisters Ebbe (David) Divins of Barrington, NH, Gina (Duane) Drebenstedt of Greenwood, SC, and Charma (David) Bonanno of Weston, VT, and a plethora of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Visitation will begin at 4 pm Tuesday, November 27th, and funeral services will be at 10:30 am Wednesday November 28th at Tippecanoe Memory Gardens with her father-in-law Rev. Charles Thomas French presiding. Cremation will follow. Memorial contributions may be made to Rachel’s preferred charities: the YWCA Women’s Shelter of Lafayette and Planned Parenthood, or to the American Cancer Society.
TMG Funeral & Cremation Services is assisting the family with arrangements.
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