It is with great sorrow we announce that Rachel Eleanor Rubin passed
away at the young age of 33 on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. She went
peacefully in her sleep at her apartment in Essex, Vt., due to an
unforeseen heart condition.
While the suddenness of her
passing leaves us heartbroken and empty, we are filled with gratitude
for every second we had with her. Rachel’s passion for life was
unmatched, and in her short time on this earth she was already
healing others and changing the world.
Rachel was born on
August 15, 1990, in Bennington, Vt. Rachel attended local schools in
Wilmington, Vt., before starting high school at Northfield Mount
Hermon in Massachusetts, then returning to Wilmington and graduating
from Twin Valley High School in 2008. In 2012, she graduated from the
University of Vermont in Burlington at the top of her class, with a
bachelor’s degree in business and a minor in economics.
Following
college, Rachel became a certified personal trainer and barre class
instructor. She also worked in business insurance and even as a
barista around the greater Burlington area. Her passions were ignited
in a profound way when she was introduced to practicing and teaching
rolfing, a form of holistic bodywork which provides improved body
structure, comfort and ease through realigning connective tissue,
namely fascia. As a structural integration practitioner, Rachel had
an innate ability to open one’s eyes up to new ways of thinking and
moving and how to nurture a meaningful connection to the body. Ever
the advocate, Rachel tended to each client’s journey as if they were
her only focus, championing their successes as if they were her own.
She found immense pride and fulfillment in her work, and those who
knew her in these latter years were gifted a front-row seat as she
evolved on her journey of helping people. In summer 2023, Rachel
opened her own rolfing practice called Lined Vitality in Montpelier,
while continuing to work and teach at Bodywork Architectures in
Burlington. The impact of Rachel’s presence, teachings and actions
will continue to be transformative for her students, clients and
every life she touched. Rachel was truly poised to change the
world.
Being a lifelong student of the human body and
experience, Rachel valued both physical and spiritual health. She was
a natural athlete, playing high school soccer and helping lead her
team to the 2007 Division III Vermont State Championship. She also
played basketball and lacrosse in addition to snowboarding and
hiking. She was a devoted yogi and runner and had most recently taken
up paddleboarding. Mindfulness and intentionalism were an important
part of her sense of self, as she also took great care immersing
herself in cozy hobbies including crafting and coloring, crystals,
holistic wellness, reading, and music. The deep connection she had
with nature gave her balance and fostered her love for both people
and the world around her.
Rachel’s ability to hold space
for everyone was one of her many gifts. Her insightfulness, empathy
and kindness allowed her to see the best in everyone. Those who were
fortunate enough to know her knew she was eternally on your side as
your biggest advocate, best cheerleader and safest friend. As Rachel
would say, “You matter.”
Rachel had a great sense of
humor and an infectious laugh. Her beautiful smile filled the whole
world with love. She never took a bad picture. Everyone, including
children and animals, adored her. She often quoted from two favorite
family movies, The Big Lebowski (“That’s just your
opinion, man” and “This aggression will not stand” and “Rachel
abides”) and Nacho Libre (“Take it easy”). These were
always followed by a great laugh.
Rachel leaves many,
including her father, Bob Rubin, and his partner, Sindy Hassig; her
mother, Sonja Nilsen, her partner, Sookraj Singh, and his children;
her sister Sarah Rubin and adored nephew and godson, Walter; her
sister Kyla Lavoy and her father, Chris Lavoy; her “heart mom,”
Teresa Friol; and her stepsiblings, Carson and Julia Fillion. Along
with endless loving family, friends, coworkers and clients, she will
also be deeply missed and forever cherished by Greg Garcia. Rachel
now takes her place in Valhalla with her beloved maternal
grandparents, Alf and Eleanor Nilsen, along with her adored paternal
grandparents, Ray and Wanda Rubin.
A memorial service for
Rachel will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2024, 11 a.m., at the
West Dover Congregational Church, 104 Route 100, West Dover, VT,
followed immediately by a reception at Haystack Golf Course’s the
Stack Restaurant, 70 Spyglass La., Wilmington, VT. There will also be
an outdoor celebration of life later this spring in the Burlington
area.
In lieu of flowers, we welcome everyone who knew
Rachel to make a donation in her name to any charitable cause found
worthwhile. What matters to you would matter to her.
While
the emptiness of a world without her light is impossibly daunting,
Rachel would want everyone who knew and loved her to find peace,
pursue joy and continue to spread the authentic kindness that she
lived by. As Rachel would say, “Namaste.”
This article appears in Dec 27, 2023 – Jan 9, 2024.