Rachel Anne Dolphin

A pied piper of people, a creative craftsperson and motivational maestra, Rachel Anne Dolphin, Lafayette, ascended to Heaven on Sunday, August 22, two days short of her 41^st birthday.

Rachel was born in Lafayette on August 25, 1980 to Mary Jane Gregan and Jud Dolphin. Her mother resides in Lafayette.

Rachel also has two surviving brothers: Paul Dolphin, Republic of the Philippines, and Matt Dolphin (wife Renee) of Oregon.

Rachel fell in love with horses as a child, and horses were always part of her family thereafter. Her beloved horse family members were Queenie, Lily, Bubba and Brooke. They brought her joy even in the darkest days of the pandemic.

Rachel’s entire life was focused on helping and bettering others, be it a homeless cat, a friend in need, or even a complete stranger.

Rachel loved performing in musical groups at Jefferson High School from which she graduated in 1998.  Rachel embedded the same excitement and energy in everything she did.   It was curtains up! lights on! in her classroom where she dedicated her life to inspiring and motivating young people.   An amazing educator and colleague, Rachel was honored as Wainwright’s Teacher of the Year in 2017.

Rachel was a leader who led by example as a dedicated servant who would roll up her sleeves to help make a garden in memory of a colleague, energize a kindness week, create a fundraiser for students in need, or who would strap on an apron to cook for the entire corporation special education department she chaired!  In addition to having attained a Master’s Degree, Rachel remained up-to-date on matters of pedagogy and curriculum and shared this information to help educators help their students.  One particular gift was offering training to any teacher in a dynamic co-teaching workshop she designed and delivered.

Rachel was a champion for others!   She respected the needs of children with challenges, devoting her entire adult life to working to support them: first at Camp Tecumseh, then professionally at Lafayette Tecumseh Middle School, and Southwestern and Wainwright Middle Schools of the Tippecanoe School Corporation.  Rachel was not merely the teacher of these young people; she was also their cheerleader, mentor, and advocate.

Rachel’s deep passion was for inspiring students to read. “Reading opens the World to my students!” she once observed. Rachel’s passion was to transform her classroom to be a Reading Rainbow for her students.  She lovingly created a unique incentive theme for the students’ reading attainment each grading period, the most recent – emojis.  Rachel’s impact on her students’ love and mastery of reading will never end.

Rachel wished to express her deep appreciation to Dr. Cecilia May and the caring staff of Franciscan Health Palliative Care Lafayette.  It is impossible to describe the degree of gratitude that Rachel also felt for Rachel’s Angels, a family of individuals galvanized for Rachel, mirroring the love and support she always gave to others.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date, and no services will be held at present.  Soller-Baker is assisting the family.

Rachel Dolphin was comprised of the most essential elements:  kindness and compassion, lights, colors, music, and passion.  She lived each minute of every day well.  Rachel’s life will be reflected in the lightbulb above a student’s head when he finally “gets it,” will float in the sigh of a teacher who rededicates herself to the task, will be the pulse and beat of an inspirational song, will add warmth to the hand that comforts a child or animal in need.

Rachel’s life may also be memorialized with contributions to the library of Wainwright Middle School, to the Franciscan Health Foundation-Western Indiana or the Indiana Horse Rescue.

I can’t believe that we would lie in our graves

Wondering if we had spent our living days well

I can’t believe that we would lie in our graves

Dreaming of things that we might have been

I can’t believe that we would lie in our graves

Wondering if we had spent our living days well

I can’t believe that we would lie in our graves

Dreaming of things that we might have been.

– Dave Matthews, 1996.