Monday, August 25, 2008

On the passing of our friend (and family member) Rachel King 1963 - 2008

Rachel was a friend of the Journey of Hope...from Violence to Healing, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation, Murder Victim Families for Human Rights and many others from around the country and around the world.

-Don't Kill In Our Name: Families of Murder Victims Speak Out Against the Death Penalty- and -Capital Consequences: Families of the Condemned Tell Their Stories- are two of Rachel's great works.

Please read the following from Rachel's family.

Peace,

Bill Pelke



Rachel King, 1963 - 2008

Dear friends,

Our inimitable Rachel King passed tonight at quarter to seven p.m. She died in her home in Wayne, Maine, overlooking the shores of Dexter Pond. Rachel grew up in Wayne, and later built a second home there with her husband, Richard McAlee. Her last moments were spent surrounded by friends and family, holding her hand and telling her how much they love her. Richard, her mother Jill, father Charlie, step-daughter Julia, and friends Barb Brink, Bill Murray, Mary Jane Cavallo, and Monique Mitchell were all present.

A memorial service will be held at Wayne Community Church, where Rachel and Richard married, this Sunday afternoon. Any friends able to travel to Maine are welcome. A second memorial service will be held in Washington, D. C. within the next few weeks. We will send details as they become available.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love, prayers, cards, and thoughts you have shared with us and Rachel through her journey with cancer, and particularly your outreach over the past weeks. Almost all messages you send through email, mail, or phone were able to be shared with her, and we know they brought her great comfort; any messages that did not reach her directly will be shared with her immediate family. Your responses to Rachel over the past weeks have been truly overwhelming; they are a tribute to what an amazing and far-reaching life she led. We were all so blessed to be touched by her.

You can reach the family by email through her step-daughter Lauren at lmcalee@gmail.com , or by mail through her mother Jill Howes at 282 Narrows Pond Rd., Winthrop, ME 04364. If you wish to send a memorial, please send donations to the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty in lieu of flowers.

With great love,

Richard McAlee, Jill Howes, Livia McAlee, Julia McAlee, and Lauren McAlee

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