Rachel Leeanne Stanley

Rachel Leeanne Stanley, born at St.Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville, TN on Aug.24, 1993 shortly after the 7 am morning shift change. She is the youngest child of parents, James Bailey Stanley born and raised in Robbins, TN of Scott County and Norma Gwen Mayes Danford Stanley, born and raised in Nashville, TN. She was predeceased in death by her paternal grandparents, Paul T. Stanley and Nora Robbins Stanley of Robbins, TN, and her maternal grandparents, Estle Mayes and Lilly Allene Reagan Mayes, who met, married, and lived most of their lives in the metro Nashville, TN area. She is survived by siblings, Jamie R. Stanley Davis Hodsden, Amber Nicole Stanley (with children McKenzie Jada Vaughan, Madison Ensley Stanley Mantilla, Maverick James Stanley Mantilla), and brother, Justin Alan Danford and wife Ronda Perkins Danford. Nephews and their families, Charles Larry Davis w/ Kylie Walker (their children, Bobby Kolton Davis, Cameron James Davis, Kailey Jean Davis, and Korbyn Koen Davis), Christopher James Davis, and Bradley Dewayne Davis w/ Carly (and his son, Bradley John Dewayne Davis). Paternal aunts and their families, Mary Jo Stanley Strunk and Lonnie Strunk (adult children, Paula Jo Strunk and Derek Strunk) and Pauline Stanley Pemberton , husband deceased Otis Pemberton (adult children, Kurt Pemberton w/ Tammy (adult daughter Sloane), Eric Pemberton w/Tonya (adult children, Kailey and Brandon), Vicki Pemberton Mays w/Patrick Mays (adult children, Emily and Hogan). Maternal aunts and families, Mindy Mayes Pierce w/ David (adult children, Macey and Mack), Myra Mayes Weatherspoon w/ David. Special mention of life long friend, Keera Raye House Link w/ Andy and their daughter, Ameera (Rachel’s god daughter) and their son, Emmett. Many extended family members and friends too numerous to list individually but who need recognition for their loving support and prayers through the years, particularly the great aunts and uncles and cousins in the Pickett County, Scott County and surrounding areas and in the Portland, TN area.

Rachel lived in the Karns community of Knoxville, TN most of her life, with short moves in adulthood to the Nashville, TN area. She attended Karns from elementary through middle school, before being zoned to the new Harding Valley High School her freshman year, and was a member of the first graduation class in 2012. In her junior year at Hardin Valley she spent half her junior year living in France and attending school. We thank the family of Vincent and Marie Manness for being her international family and treating her with much love and care enabling her to live one of her dreams of becoming fluent in French and being a foreign exchange student. This opportunity helped mold her into the passionate young woman she became. After high school graduation she attended her first two years at Pellissippi State Community College before transferring to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville earning her Bachelor of Science of Social Work, Summa Cum Laude, Dec. 16, 2017. She continued her education at UT Knoxville and earned her Master of Science in Social Work, May 8, 2021.

During her years of pursuing her education she worked part time in various capacities. She worked as a cashier at Kroger’s on Middlebrook Pike during high school, she worked a short time as a waitress at a café in Powell, TN, she worked as a care giver for intellectual disabled adults in Oak Ridge, TN at Emory Valley Center. Her most recent employment was working PRN for Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital as a Social Work intake specialist. She had completed her education and testing and was awarded the Licensed Master Social Worker certification from the State of Tennessee on June 1, 2023. If her health hadn’t begun to deteriorate she had hoped to continue working at the job she loved as Social Worker intake while applying for and pursuing further medical training towards becoming a mental health physicians assistant or nurse practitioner. She often felt frustrated with her health issues limiting the speed she could accomplish her education goals and the double lung transplant in 2019 slowed her down in obtaining her Masters but she was always sincerely thankful to her young donor and his family that enabled her to add years and accomplishments to her life. At the end she wanted to be an organ donor, and was deemed could be a viable donor for her heart and liver. This would have overjoyed her being able to offer hope of an extended life to someone else in need. Unfortunately, the donor organ organization searched the available recipients list and none were found that matched in all the ways necessary to be able to accept her gifts. She offered and the rest was beyond her control so she can take comfort in knowing that.

Rachel had many passions that were important to her. Some of them were: taking care of our environment with big emphasis on recycling, reducing waste, and preserving natural resources, providing quality care and support to those underserved in our world, equality, those with mental health issues, particularly those with anxiety and suicidal depression, and homelessness, those with intellectual disabilities, those with physical health impairments, children in unsafe homes and those in foster care, animal welfare and rescue, particularly dogs needing rescue, and pet neuter spay programs. A major dream she had wanted desperately was to be a mother, it was a driving passion and one which she didn’t get to accomplish, so she had a strong empathy for women and couples dealing with infertility.

Rachel has touched many people’s lives in many ways during her shorter than average life. She fought many battles both physical, mental and emotional and through it all she exhibited a desire to fight to live. In spite of many hard and scary times she continued to fight until the very end when her body was just too frail and damaged to continue. Her courage, tenacity, love, concern, intellect, humor, bravery, hard headedness, vulnerability, and good example will continue to inspire me, and my memories and the love shared make her one of my heroes, Though we knew from a young age when diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis that she was chronically ill and might not be with us nearly as long as we would have liked, the actual leaving still feels too soon. I rest in the hope that she is pain free with no more medical issues to have to deal with and she is filled with easy breathing, lots of energy, a joy in knowing His master plan and the realization that though we continue here, in time we will be together again in even better circumstances. Save me a good place, daughter, till I get there.

Words of encouragement (edited) from long time friend, Bethany Reed, below.

I know this is never the post any would want to make, or anyone would want to read. Unfortunately, due to complications from Flu type A, Rachel has passed on from us. She passed at Vanderbilt Medical Center on February 15th, surrounded by friends and family. Rachel did not want a normal “celebration of life” (when did she ever want anything normal?) so they are beginning to work on the planning of her party she wanted. Details will follow in later days once things solidify, but it won’t be an immediate turnaround as it will take time to coordinate and plan.

Rachel was so very strong as we all know and her heart for animals and for others and for justice and empathy showed in everything she did. She left an impact on everyone she came across and I know this message hits hard on everyone reading it. She let us all into every aspect of her life with open arms. She shared her fears, her hopes, her dreams, the reality of her day to day life. She spoke often on depression or feeling down, but also encouraged empathy and being there for those around you. She would not want us to cry, but to celebrate the beauty of life around us. And although that is hard as we grieve, just think that yesterday as she passed from us she got to take a full breath of air, which was probably immediately knocked out of her as Bear greeted her.

“The human condition is painful. It’s difficult. It’s trying, draining, and exhausting. We cry together. We mourn together. We stand beside each other in sorrow. But with each other we overcome it. Because even though the human condition is painful, it’s also so beautiful and loving and kind and compassionate and funny and memorable and adventurous and miraculous and faithful.” ~ Rachel Stanley June 2019

Details of Rachel Stanley’s After Party-

Location: The Lighthouse, 6804 Baum Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919, 865-247-6072

Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025 5 – 8:30 pm

Casual dress, comfortable clothes, (no putting on airs)

Food and beverages provided, assorted to include some of Rachel’s favorites, buffet style, NO Alcohol

Family Friendly

Everyone Welcome

At 5-5:20 pm, will have short welcoming comments, short recognition of Rachel’s request for party instead of normal funeral, to perhaps include comforting scripture or reading, followed by prayer giving thanks, and then dismissal for enjoying food and socializing.

This will be a flexible event with buffet allowing friends and family to arrive and leave as they need, we just ask that you sign in on the guest memory book and perhaps note how you knew/met Rachel along with fond comments or memory, and if you have a photo to share would love if you could bring a print to include in the memory book. Also, if you are musical and would like to provide some entertainment to those of us who aren’t, please feel free to bring your instrument or voice and share with us a song or few.