Rachael Louise Anderson
Rachael Louise Anderson, 43, died suddenly after the briefest battle with a rare and aggressive form of leukemia on 10 December 2012 in Santa Barbara. She is survived by her partner, Patrick Jay Chose, and her two beloved daughters, Ammaria 19, and Aviana, 13. Additionally, she is survived by her father, David, and her brothers—Bryce, Colin, Frank, and Ian—and numerous aunts, uncles, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces and cousins.
Rachael was a deeply loving partner, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, niece, cousin and friend. She will be profoundly missed by her family.
Rachael was born on 17 June 1969 in Santa Ynez to Elisabeth and David Anderson. Rachael’s life was divided among Los Olivos, Ojai/Ventura, Santa Cruz, and Santa Barbara. Her earliest years were spent at Midland School in Los Olivos where her father taught and her mother was school nurse. After Los Olivos, Rachael lived in Ojai and Ventura where she completed her AA at Ventura College before transferring to U.C. Santa Cruz. Rachael majored in Religious Studies at Santa Cruz finishing in 1991. Her interest in religions had been piqued by a year in Tanzania, Africa where she was exposed to a wealth of world religions while a student at International School Moshi.
After finishing U. C. Santa Cruz, Rachael spent a year as a dorm parent at Happy Valley School in Ojai. While she loved working with the high school students, her heart had already been pledged to much younger students during her work/study hours in a nursery school while in college. She returned to Santa Cruz and assumed a full time position at the Neighborhood Early Childhood Center. In tandem with her interest in children and music, she met Patrick Jay Chose with whom she spent the remainder of her life. Their two daughters were born in Santa Cruz, Ammaria in December 1993 and Aviana in October 1999. Rachael developed an interest in the Waldorf educational approach and began her certification after her daughters enrolled in the Santa Cruz Waldorf School.
In 2002 Rachael and her family moved to Santa Barbara to be close to her family, especially her maternal grandmother, Louise Barrow, and her maternal great aunt, Ruth Petrie. Rachael visited her grandmother everyday for the next eight years before Louise died in January 2010. Rachael also completed her Waldorf training and received her Early Childhood Development Certificate from Cabrillo College. She joined the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara and co-directed the Infant/Toddler program.
Rachael valued living responsibly. She stepped the lightest possible footprint, was unfailingly thoughtful and caring with people, animals and plants, and was intentional in all her environmental interactions. The world is a sadder place without her grace and simplicity. A gathering to celebrate Rachael’s life will be held on 5 January 2013, noon, at Midland School, 5100 Figueroa Mountain Road, Los Olivos. Friends and family of Rachael’s are warmly welcome to attend.