Rachel Irene Thompson Burroughs of Underhill Center, Vt., was born to Russell and Adeline Thompson on May 18, 1935, in Barre, Vt., and passed away unexpectedly on January 16, 2025.
Rachel grew up in Newbury, Vt., and attended school at Newbury Center and Newbury High. She graduated from the University of Vermont School of Nursing in 1957.
Rachel worked tirelessly as a nurse throughout her life, including for the Vermont/New Hampshire/New York Regional Perinatal Program in the 1980s. From 1968 to 1975, Rachel was a clinical instructor at the University of Vermont’s Department of Professional Nursing. She was an invited presenter at many conferences on obstetrics, low birth weight and other maternal health care issues. She was devoted to improving the health and care of mothers and their children, and Rachel belonged to several professional associations, including the American Nurses Association, the Vermont State Nurses Association and NAACOG/AWHONN. Rachel continued to work in the medical field, including as a coder, at the University of Vermont until she was in her late seventies…