Marcia, daughter of Maggie and Travis McAdory, was born on December 8, 1954, in Picayune, MS. She attended school in Jackson, MS, and was a graduate of Wingfield High School. At an early age, Marcia professed her faith in Jesus Christ and the Lord led her throughout her life.
She was married to Steven John Rachel, her college sweetheart, on November 20, 1976. From walking along the Great Wall of China or hiking through Costa Rica, to enjoying a peaceful weekend at the lake, the memories they shared during their 43 years of marriage are too numerous to count. Their love for each other runs deep.
Marcia continued on in her education to receive a BS in nursing from Mississippi College and began her career as both a mental health nurse at St. Dominic Medical Center and a home health nurse. She went on to receive a Master’s degree in mental health nursing from The University of Southern Mississippi and a Ph.D. in higher education and student personnel from The University of Mississippi.
Marcia quickly felt led to take the path of nursing administration and teaching. She served as the executive director of the Mississippi Board of Nursing, a chief nursing executive at the University of Mississippi Medical Center Hospitals and Clinics, and nurse educator at the graduate and undergraduate levels, most recently as the associate dean for academic affairs at the UMMC School of Nursing. Marcia served as the president of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, as president of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, and was inducted into the Mississippi Nurses Association Hall of Fame. Marcia genuinely enjoyed the opportunity to invest in her students, and she impacted her profession both locally and abroad.
While Marcia was distinguished and influential in her career, her largest impact was made in the lives of her two children, Christopher Steven Rachel and Rebecca Rachel Holt, and her four grandchildren. She had a unique gift of knowing when to offer advice or a listening ear, and she managed to intertwine her quick wit and humor into conversations whenever possible. While she loved going on adventures and traveling with her family and close friends, she also cherished any time spent outdoors or watching her dog Hershey chase squirrels.
Marcia was a charter member of her church, Brandon Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir, rocked babies to sleep, and was active in her Sunday School class. Her Christian life was as beautiful as the hummingbirds and cardinals that she enjoyed watching, and her influence will remain in the lives of all who knew her.
Marcia was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Travis McAdory and Maggie Ledlow McAdory.
Marcia’s life will forever be cherished in the lives of her husband, Steve Rachel; her children, Chris (Katie) Rachel, of Brandon, MS and Becky (Tyler) Holt, of Mountain Brook, AL; her grandchildren, Lily Rachel, Lauren Rachel, Jonathan Holt, and Maggie Holt; her brother, Robert (Pam Pape) McAdory, of Clinton, MS; and a host of devoted aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Memorials may be given to the Brandon Baptist Church building fund.
The family wishes to extend our sincerest thanks to her family and friends, the medical professionals at MD Anderson and St. Dominic Medical Center, and her church family.
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