Rachel Ann Phillips

Rachel Ann Phillips

November 19, 2003

April 16, 2024

Our beloved Rachel embraced life fully, wanting to live and experience all the beauty the world has to offer. Rachel Ann Phillips was born on November 19, 2003 in Pocatello, Idaho. She passed away unexpectedly due to an unknown medical issue on April 16, 2024.

Rachel was enthusiastic, bubbly, fun, and a free spirit. She expressed herself fully, wanting to be the most authentic “Rachel” she could be. From dancing in the aisles at the grocery store to picking a wildflower for her mom on a 5-mile run, Rachel was always unabashedly herself. She was strong in her opinions and freely expressed herself without being afraid of what others thought. Rachel poured her heart into every relationship, offering unwavering love, boundless generosity, and selflessness, effortlessly enriching the world. Rachel was steadfast in her commitment to her values of empathy, kindness, love, seeing the good, being positive, and helping others.

Rachel loved her family and friends as deeply as the ocean. She was a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a cousin, a niece, a friend and best friend, a leader, a writer, and an athlete.

Rachel’s personality sparkled like the natural world she held dear and she lived with an intentionality to fully experience the beauty of a flower or a ladybug or a sunset. When she tied flies for fly fishing with her grandpa, Rachel said the best part was listening to him. She told us that she could never live away from the mountains for long, as they are home.

Rachel was an animal whisperer with a tender heart, adventurous spirit, and natural sensibility. She loved cats, especially her kitten, Arlo. Rachel embraced life with both arms, ready to explore and experience new things, enjoy life, love others with bravery and courage. She loved skiing, camping, hiking, and running.

Rachel grew up in Pocatello where she attended Indian Hills Elementary School, Irving Middle School, and Century High School. She participated in ballet and played the flute. She was a member of the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage, earning her bronze and silver awards. She was an avid soccer player, playing on recreational and competitive teams from third grade through high school. She played basketball, tennis, and competed in track. Rachel loved history, government and learning about our democracy. She especially loved our Constitution. In high school, she studied Spanish and excelled in both AP classes and dual enrollment classes. She served on the Century High School student council all four years of high school. She graduated with highest honors in 2022.

Rachel attended Boise State University from 2022-2024 where she was a business and political science major with an emphasis on international business. The recipient of several scholarships, Rachel was an exceptional student. Her classmates commented on her remarkably positive outlook. At BSU, Rachel worked as a writing center consultant, an athletic tutor, and a champion for women. She was committed to women’s causes and planned to make a difference in the world as an international business attorney. She was a valued member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority. She had planned to study abroad in Italy next semester and received her final acceptance to the program on April 15, 2024. She had always wanted to travel and was thrilled at this opportunity. Rachel planned to graduate a semester early and move home in January 2026 to study for the LSAT. She planned to attend law school with the goal of changing laws to help women and children.

Rachel was brilliant. She learned quickly and had an adept, unique and insightful mind. She understood at a very young age that relationships are more important than things. Rachel listened with a keen, empathetic ear, and her profound moral compass, astute observations on social injustices, and unwavering faith in humanity radiated through her essay writing.

In the introductory paragraph of her paper on her code of ethics titled “I Believe”, (October 22, 2023) Rachel wrote:

“I believe in people. I believe that every person is born with goodness in their heart. I believe in joy. I believe that empathy and compassion are the best attributes to have. I believe that it is better to give than to receive. I believe in selflessness. I believe in the beauty of being unique. I believe in honesty, kindness and acceptance. I believe in people.”

Rachel was optimistic. She could see the bright side of any situation. If life was hard, she said it made her strong. If life was unfair, she said it helped her define her moral compass more clearly. She knew how to listen and she knew how to treat people. If she said it, she did it.

Rachel was a beautiful soul and a beacon of light. She had a quick, infectious smile and was easily funny, making those around her laugh constantly. She had an innate ability to listen, check in, and make sure everyone else feels welcome and ok. She possessed boundless joy, enthusiasm for life, and empathy for others. Her charisma and bright energy drew children to her because of her ability to fully focus on them when interacting. She was loved by many and brought so much joy to the lives she touched. She was goodness, light, courage, integrity, and hope. Rachel expressed her boundless generosity through her deep, genuine love of her family and friends. She took great care to remember the small details that made people feel special and cared about. She was kind, sweet, and loving.

Together, we mourn her loss, her pure and joyful spirit, her sweet company. Rachel had such high hopes for the world, her impact on it, and believed she could change it for the better. While we mourn her not being able to change the world as she would have with a full life, we take comfort in knowing she already did, just by being here and impacting us all.

May Rachel’s spirit surround us with love and light, reminding and challenging each of us to live and love life as vibrantly as Rachel did by her example. She would have wanted us to live life fully and continue to find joy. Be present. Be there for each other. Be happy. Be love. Oh, how we miss our beautiful, joyful, sparkling Rachel.

Hundreds attended the candlelight vigil on April 28th at BSU held by her sorority, Alpha Xi Delta.

A celebration of life for Rachel will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Mink Creek group campsite. Everyone is welcome.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family below.

The Celebration of Life PDF Flyer can be found on the Tribute Wall tab above.