Rachel Leah Lawrence
1935 - 2025
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Invite friends and family to read the obituary and add memories.
Rachel Leah Lawrence, 90, of Monsey, NY, died on Thursday, November 6, 2025, after a brief illness. She was a fiercely independent woman and lived a full and long life. Her family is saddened by her passing, but grateful for the gift of so many adventures, stories, and memories.
Rachel was born in Tel Aviv on February 22, 1935 to Louis and Ziporah, and came to New York City with her parents and older siblings in 1938. Rachel attended Hunter College High School, and then Cornell University, earning her B.A. in Far Eastern Studies in 1957.
After graduating, Rachel road-tripped across the country, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was passionate about journalism, and started a long career that led to run-ins with many notable names. Rachel took her first job at The San Francisco Chronicle, conducting research for staff writers, including music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
In 1958, she met William Duffin, a surveyor and boat builder, and they married and started a family. Rachel chose to be a homemaker, raising her three children and getting involved in local political advocacy. Her children have many memories of going to rallies and protests, boycotting grapes (for the United Farm Workers), and going door to door, collecting petition signatures.
Eager to get back into a newsroom as her children reached adulthood, Rachel began volunteering at public television station, KQED in 1978. This led to a job at CBS Radio, where she worked as a broadcast editor, writing for a young Lester Holt.
In 1983, Rachel headed back across the country, taking a job as a broadcast editor at the Associated Press in Des Moines. She covered primary debates, caucuses, and local interest stories, and spoke with such public figures as George McGovern, George W. Bush, and Bishop Zevs Cosmos, of the Nudist Christian Church of the Blessed Virgin Jesus.
Rachel finished making her way back across the country in 1988, continuing to work for the AP in Newark and living in Elizabeth, NJ. Here, she found a robust and welcoming Jewish community, which allowed her to nurture her spiritual connection and practice, becoming a core part of her identity.
After retiring in 1997, Rachel moved to Teaneck, NJ, where she became deeply involved in the local Jewish community, particularly the Teaneck Women's Tefillah. She enjoyed taking classes at the community center and taking walks in the park (and picking up any plastic or aluminum she saw on the ground, to recycle it properly).
Relatives and friends describe Rachel as a "pistol" and a "spitfire", who was absolutely fearless in going after what she wanted, and fighting for what she thought was right. An endlessly social butterfly, her calendar was filled with get-togethers with her Hunter ladies, Cornell friends, work buddies, and all the other wonderful pals she added along the way. Other days were spent taking in Broadway shows, symphony concerts, and museum exhibits with beloved family, and she saved time for plenty of travel. She never lost touch with a friend, regardless of how far apart they were geographically. Her independent streak led her across the globe, from Russia, to Italy, to the Isle of Man (during the TT). She also had a love of cognac, even when it was no longer allowed.
Most of all, Rachel was generous. Her greatest joy was sharing her enthusiasm for life with those she loved. Her laugh was loud and genuine, and not always appropriate. A day spent on an adventure with Rachel was a day spent fully drinking in all that life has to offer.
Rachel was predeceased by her parents, her sister, Bashey, her brother, Jack and sister-in-law, Adele. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Miriam Lawrence, her children, Julie (Gill) Fountain, Suzanne Brodie, and Daniel (Kuniko) Duffin, as well as her granddaughters, Kameron Brodie and Sarah Fountain, and many beloved nieces and nephews. Rachel deeply cherished each of her many friends, from all chapters of her life.
In honor of Rachel's passion for accurate, in-depth journalism, donations to your local PBS affiliate would be much appreciated.
Rachel was born in Tel Aviv on February 22, 1935 to Louis and Ziporah, and came to New York City with her parents and older siblings in 1938. Rachel attended Hunter College High School, and then Cornell University, earning her B.A. in Far Eastern Studies in 1957.
After graduating, Rachel road-tripped across the country, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was passionate about journalism, and started a long career that led to run-ins with many notable names. Rachel took her first job at The San Francisco Chronicle, conducting research for staff writers, including music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
In 1958, she met William Duffin, a surveyor and boat builder, and they married and started a family. Rachel chose to be a homemaker, raising her three children and getting involved in local political advocacy. Her children have many memories of going to rallies and protests, boycotting grapes (for the United Farm Workers), and going door to door, collecting petition signatures.
Eager to get back into a newsroom as her children reached adulthood, Rachel began volunteering at public television station, KQED in 1978. This led to a job at CBS Radio, where she worked as a broadcast editor, writing for a young Lester Holt.
In 1983, Rachel headed back across the country, taking a job as a broadcast editor at the Associated Press in Des Moines. She covered primary debates, caucuses, and local interest stories, and spoke with such public figures as George McGovern, George W. Bush, and Bishop Zevs Cosmos, of the Nudist Christian Church of the Blessed Virgin Jesus.
Rachel finished making her way back across the country in 1988, continuing to work for the AP in Newark and living in Elizabeth, NJ. Here, she found a robust and welcoming Jewish community, which allowed her to nurture her spiritual connection and practice, becoming a core part of her identity.
After retiring in 1997, Rachel moved to Teaneck, NJ, where she became deeply involved in the local Jewish community, particularly the Teaneck Women's Tefillah. She enjoyed taking classes at the community center and taking walks in the park (and picking up any plastic or aluminum she saw on the ground, to recycle it properly).
Relatives and friends describe Rachel as a "pistol" and a "spitfire", who was absolutely fearless in going after what she wanted, and fighting for what she thought was right. An endlessly social butterfly, her calendar was filled with get-togethers with her Hunter ladies, Cornell friends, work buddies, and all the other wonderful pals she added along the way. Other days were spent taking in Broadway shows, symphony concerts, and museum exhibits with beloved family, and she saved time for plenty of travel. She never lost touch with a friend, regardless of how far apart they were geographically. Her independent streak led her across the globe, from Russia, to Italy, to the Isle of Man (during the TT). She also had a love of cognac, even when it was no longer allowed.
Most of all, Rachel was generous. Her greatest joy was sharing her enthusiasm for life with those she loved. Her laugh was loud and genuine, and not always appropriate. A day spent on an adventure with Rachel was a day spent fully drinking in all that life has to offer.
Rachel was predeceased by her parents, her sister, Bashey, her brother, Jack and sister-in-law, Adele. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Miriam Lawrence, her children, Julie (Gill) Fountain, Suzanne Brodie, and Daniel (Kuniko) Duffin, as well as her granddaughters, Kameron Brodie and Sarah Fountain, and many beloved nieces and nephews. Rachel deeply cherished each of her many friends, from all chapters of her life.
In honor of Rachel's passion for accurate, in-depth journalism, donations to your local PBS affiliate would be much appreciated.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Rachel Leah Lawrence, please visit our flower store.
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