Rachel R. Mather

Born April 5, 1931, to Gertrude B. and John H. Roser, Glastonbury, Conn., middle sister to Nancy and Karin, their family owned Roser’s Tannery which turned pigskin into fine leather goods. After high school at Drew Seminary, Carmel, N.Y., Rachel attended Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., graduated in 1951, married and started a family in short order.

While raising nine children, Rachel also volunteered for the Save The Children Fund in Lesotho, South Africa, sending clothing donated by members of the Garden City Community Church. Over the years she visited Lesotho several times, meeting the people she had come to know through their letters and visits to her home in New York.

The Women’s Movement in the early ‘70s activated her courage to seek a place in the wider world, affording her children educational and social opportunities they wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Thus, Rachel took a job at Adelphi University’s Development Office. Before long she was encouraged by colleagues to teach in the English department and pursue her master’s degree. Ultimately a tenured professor in the Business School, Rachel achieved a Doctor of Education from St. John’s University. Rachel’s book, “The Heirs of Jane Austen” (published by the Peter Lang Group 1996) explored the novels of E.F. Benson, Angela Thirkell and E.M. Delafield as social comedies. She proudly worked beyond retirement age until ill health made it impossible.

Long before email was dreamt of, Rachel tirelessly corresponded via a manual Royal typewriter with relatives and friends all over the world. She and Londoner pen pal “Rissy” exchanged letters for more than 60 years starting when both were 13 and Rissy evacuated to the countryside to avoid the wartime bombings. Rachel’s home, near to JFK airport, became a hub for far-flung relatives, friends and associates.

Treasured experiences include her several trips to Europe, to Africa and her sabbatical at the University of Cape Town — the same year Nelson Mandela was released from Robben Island prison. She was part of the welcoming crowd when he walked up from the harbor.

Rachel modeled for her children a love of reading, baking from scratch, classical music, singing in the church choir, libraries, art museums, frugality combined with creativity and, most of all, how to keep going in the face of adversity.

She is survived by her children: Melissa M. Kundstadter of Washington, D.C.; Walter S. Mather III of East Lyme, Conn.; Rebecca M. Ruppert of Stewart Manor, N.Y.; Nancy E. Mather of Ellington, Conn.; Nathaniel J.B. Mather of Malmo, Sweden; Jeremiah P. Mather of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Abigail R. Mather of Keene; Timothy J.S. Mather of Keene; and Daisy M. Hohman of Aledo, Texas; 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by an infant son, Giles.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Bentley Commons, 2011-2016, and The Meadows at Summerhill, 2016-2021, who provided exceptional care to Rachel. A service to celebrate her life will be held in the spring of 2022 in Glastonbury, Conn.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to UNICEF (www.unicefusa.org), Save The Children (www.savethechildren.org), Planned Parenthood (www.plannedparenthood.org), or any animal shelter.