Rachel R. Carroll, 77, passed away on March 18, 2021. She completed a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education at ASU and subsequently earned a Master's Degree in Special Education at NAU. She went on to attend 84 additional credit hours towards her doctorate. Rachel’s first teaching job was at Salt River Reservation, where she remained for 13 years. She was later the superintendent of Busby schools in Busby, Montana. Her academic positions have included principalships, superintendencies, student services administration, counseling, and many other academic posts. Rachel was instrumental in creating the Native American Studies Department at ASU, which grew to become a nationally recognized program, drawing students from all over the United States. She was very influential in education all over the Southwest.



Rachel was a lifetime learner, educator, and mentor. She was a Northern Cheyenne Ceremonial Woman, who helped many people on their spiritual journeys and rites of passage. The oldest ceremony of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe is the "Painted Faces" ceremony of the Great Race. She received this ceremony from her eldest sister, Victoria, and later passed it on to nieces and nephew. Rachel also had Ceremonial Person status for the Passamaquoddy Tribe in Main and for Hawaiian Native Americans.



She served on boards of many organizations, including St. Labre Corporate Board in Ashland Montana for 11 years, numerous school boards in Arizona, Montana, and other states, and the National Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. She was a spiritual elder and tradition healer at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC).



Due to Covid-19 restrictions attendance to the Chapel Service will be limited to family and a few close friends. (Source: ASU Foundation)