Rachael Ann Hodgson-Ruiz

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Rachael Hodgson was born in Frankfurt Germany in the wee hours of the morning. She was the first of five children in the family of James and Marjorie Hodgson. She lived in the village of Bergen-Enkheim until the age of 3. During this time she was blessed with a playmate, her sister, Sarah. Her baby-sitter was Puerto Rican, and Spanish was the language spoken, thus exposing her to three languages. Extended family lived in a village outside of Heidelberg in the village of Waldorf. Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary gave her three wonderful cousins to play with: Mary, Robert III, and Jennifer.

The family, now with sister Sarah, moved back to Washington in 1978 where they lived for nine years in Spokane. Here, she attended public school and then to private Catholic school, at Cataldo. The family doubled during this phase where sister Ruthie was added to the roles and then the first brother, Paul, made his debut. Rachael was present at his birth. The extended family continued to meld and grow. Uncle Tom, Auntie Carol and her cousins Mark, Kim and Katie filled the gap in her social life.

In 1987, Rachael’s family moved to Quilcene where her dad would be the band and music director of the Quilcene School District and her Mom would become the Spanish teacher for the Chimacum School District. This phase of her life would be transformative as her leadership qualities and interest expanded exponentially. At the same time momma Marge told her that we would be adding a fifth child. This she was rather outspoken about, letting us know that maybe we had a large enough family. We could only smile. Her baby sitting skills were outstanding, however. She would be involved in marching band, concerts, sports, knowledge bowl, cheerleading and academic studies. She moved with ease into the use of computers and cell phones where her organizational and shopping skills blossomed. She graduated from High School as the Salutatorian of her class and then pursued University studies at Western Washington University. She majored in both Spanish and Political Science, and then procured her Washington State Teaching Credential. Between receiving her undergrad and masters degree Rachael, being the over achiever that she was, went to beauty school to become a licensed esthetician. She was always looking for a good “deal” and through this license she procured deals for the entire family ensuring we always had the best products available. She was hired by the Mount Vernon School District after completing her Student Teaching at the High School and remained on the faculty until her death from cancer. Rachael found her soul mate, Armando Ruiz and together they had a beautiful daughter Olivia in 2011. Olivia remains a shining star and has shown the adults how to make the transition without Rachael being physically present. Rachael’s last moments closed in a similar manner as her birth. In the wee hours of the morning she called for Armando to come and be at her side. Ruth soon joined him. Together they held her close as she transitioned from this life to the next. Mom and Dad walked through the door within moments of her last goodbye.

Rachael’s Spirit remains throughout the home and gardens. She has taken on the role of a conduit, bringing the family to a new plateau where we can now set our sails for the future. In the world of Spirit where God sets his Will, she resides to guide us and keep us on course. Vaya con Dios my darling. May God be with you, my love.

Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary with cousins: Mary, Robert III, and Jennifer; Uncle Tom, Auntie Carol and her cousins Mark, Kim and Katie; Uncle Kevin and Auntie Ebbie with cousins Cary, Kaleigh and Kaitlin; Uncle Rick and Aunt Martha with cousins Ricky and Brian; Auntie ReRe and Uncle Mike with cousins, Ryan and Corey; Auntie Therese and Uncle Tony with his son, Mathew. On her Mother’s side of the family (Henry) two uncles and one aunt: Uncle Gene and Aunt Barbara Henry; Uncle Tom and Aunt Xinyi Henry; and Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Don Stevens. The Ruiz side of her family includes Francisca (mother-in-law), Veronica (sister-in-law) and her son Ronnie Sandoval.

Deceased’s funeral arrangements: A Celebration of Rachael’s beautiful life will take place on Saturday, August 26th, 2017, at the Mount Vernon High School. It will start at 11:00AM and be followed by a Pot Luck. The organizers of the event are colleagues of Rachael’s who have been so instrumental in her journey these past two years. They have reached out and helped Rachael, providing her with comfort and compassion. The family will be forever thankful for their kindness and generosity.