Rachel Leone Shannon

Rachel Leone Shannon was born on June 18, 1943, in Battle Creek, Michigan. She graduated from Whitehall High School in 1961, obtained a diploma in Biblical Studies from Appalachian Bible Institute, and earned her RN at Hackley Hospital School of Nursing in 1967. After two years of nursing at Berrien General Hospital, Berrien Center Michigan, she joined the teaching faculty at Hackley Hospital in Muskegon, Michigan. In 1971, she left to attend Cedarville College and graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. After returning to Hackley for one year, she moved on the University of Mississippi where she earned her master’s degree as a Nurse Practitioner in Midwifery.

She dedicated her life to serving the underserved as a midwife in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Midland Texas. From there she joined the teaching faculty at El Paso Texas, training midwives in a program jointly run by The University of Texas and Texas Tech. After retirement, she remained in El Passo, and served for many years in women’s ministries at Emanual Baptist Church of El Paso. Eventually, health issues prompted her to re-locate to Grand Rapids, Michigan to be closer to her extended family.

Over her career, she delivered thousands of babies, many of them named Rachel in her honor. Although single all her life, she greatly loved her nieces, nephews, grands, and great grands, well over fifty at last count. And she will be greatly missed by them. Her most earnest prayer and greatest desire was that they would all come to walk in a vital living relationship with Christ.

She was preceded in death by her parents Robert and Thelma Shannon, and an infant sister, Hester. She is survived by brother Robert (Neysa) Shannon, sisters Martha (James) Robbins, Lois (Edwin) Ericson, Rebecca (Delbert) Patterson, and by three generations of nieces and nephews too numerous to count.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 11:00AM at Reyers North Valley Chapel, 2815 Fuller Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505. Visitation will be held from 9:00 - 11:00AM at the funeral home. Donations in Rachel's name can be made to West Cannon Church or the charity of your choice.