Anya faced and overcame more challenges during her shortened life than most people face in their entire lifetime, and she faced them all with determination and courage. She had a tremendous heart for people, especially those who were facing immediate and difficult challenges in their lives. Her passion to help people led her to obtain state certification as a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor in January 2017, and she worked in this field for the last year and a half.
Anya had a very special talent of translating complex and difficult ideas, thoughts, and feelings into words that pierced the heart of the issues and problems that friends and clients faced in their lives. Her “voice” resonated in all that she did – school, her career, and her personal life. She spoke and wrote eloquently about relationships, about love, and about faith. Our lives have been enriched by all that she taught us in her pathway to the achievement of her dreams.
Anya was preceded in death by her father James "Red" Rochelle, grandparents Raymond and Eloise Tyler, and her beloved dog Scooby. She is survived by her mother Ellen Rochelle; step-father Michael Mooney; brothers Russ Rochelle and wife Jenny, and Duane Rochelle and wife Melanie; sisters Terrie Toups and husband Ted, Patty Buras and husband Dwayne, and Nicole Crowe; and aunt Jeanne Propst. Anya is also survived by numerous loving nephews, nieces, cousins, family, friends, and her precious dog Yodi.
Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, 801 Roeder Road, Ste. 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or they can be made directly on the PHA website at phassociation.org. Please include Anya's name with your donation in her honor.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home on June 3, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception to follow.
