IN MEMORIAM:

Remembering & Honoring

Rachel Avery Connell

1969-2023

Former Rector

Rector Rachel Avery Connell died after an aggressive form of cancer March 14, 2023. She was 54.

A resident of Portsmouth, NH, Rector Connell held previous positions as director of advancement at Emma Willard School in New York, senior consultant and principal at Marts & Lundy, and in development positions at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, and Landmark College and World Learning in Vermont. She was on the board of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) and a member of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS). She had also been on the board of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, Service Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union in New Hampshire, and was a member of the New Hampshire Ranger Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Rector Connell was dedicated to the advancement of women’s and girls’ education and opportunities throughout her life.

She was a cum laude graduate of Wellesley College, Class of 1991, and National Cathedral School for Girls, Class of 1987. She held a master’s in business administration from Babson College, Class of 1999. A Russian Studies major at Wellesley, she spent her senior year living in Moscow, studying at the Institute of History and Archives as part of a student exchange following the Reagan/Gorbachev summit. While there, she traveled throughout the former Soviet Union, including providing relief in the Republic of Georgia following a devastating earthquake. As a Student Trustee of Wellesley, she developed and helped implement a divestment portfolio from the college’s South African holdings with minimal revenue loss to the school. She was a dedicated member of the Wellesley Widows, an a cappella group, known for her rich mezzo and ability to jazz scat. She had a lifelong passion for literature, music, film, art and travel. One of the highlights of her life was the adoption of her son, Alexander “Sasha” Avery McEldowney, from Moscow.

In addition to her beloved son, she leaves her mother, Marion Fitch Connell; her father and stepmother, Lawrence and Linda Connell; her sister, Elizabeth Connell Nielsen, and her husband, Devan; her nephew and niece, Powell and Ava; her stepson, Captain Matthew McEldowney, USMC; her cousin Keper Connell and his wife, Andrée, and their children, Esme and Ronan; her stepsister, Gail McGovern Gulotta, and her husband, Geno, and their children, Ri and Keelan; and her former husband, Bruce McEldowney. She also leaves an array of beloved friends around the globe with whom she shared her unique spirit of generosity, joy, knowledge, and fierce love.

The family wishes to particularly thank Dr. Harold Burstein and his team at Dana Farber Cancer Institute for their devoted care to their beloved Rachel. A Celebration of Life will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Rector Connell’s memory be made to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Dana Farber Cancer Institute directed to Women’s Cancers.

THEN & NOW: From club performances by groups such as Panache (pictured left in 1991) to afternoon activities (pictured right in fall 2022), dance has been an important part of life at Chatham Hall for decades.