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The story
Rachel was born in Utica, New York, and grew up in Massachusetts, Maryland, and the Netherlands. She graduated from Boston University with a BFA in costume design in 1981 and worked in professional theatre including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Santa Fe Opera.
In 1987, she got an MBA from Simmons College in Boston and worked in sales while she was raising her children, Harrison Greene of Somerville, MA, and Eleanor Greene of Washington, DC. She went back to school, studying at Framingham State University and becoming a registered dietician in 2015. She worked in food service at nursing homes and hospitals in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania until she was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2018.
Rachel lived in Grafton since 1992 and was an active community member. She always went to town meetings and advocated for the expansion of the Grafton Library in particular. She served on the Grafton Music Boosters when Harrison played trumpet in high school. She became involved in the Town Democrats and in 2018 she was proud to be chosen as a delegate for the state democratic convention. After her diagnosis, she joined the Unitarian Universalists Society of Grafton and Upton, where she found inspiration and friendship.
Anyone who knew Rachel knows she was multi-talented with many passions and interests. She was an active gardener, quilter, cyclist, and traveler. She would never turn down a chance to see live music or theater, no matter who was playing. She kept in touch with friends and family members, even distantly related or faraway, for the decades of her life.
In the past two years, her cancer fight became a big part of her life. She was lucky to have access to some of the most advanced care in the world, at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. When her cancer came back in September 2020, she joined a clinical trial, testing the use of an oncolytic virus to fight glioblastoma, an extremely fast-moving terminal cancer. She also volunteered to donate her brain to the study after she passed. Her doctors called her a pioneer for science and when a cure is found someday, we will get to thank her for her contribution.
Rachel was the daughter of Irene Blum and Harry Blum. She is survived by her older sisters, Flo Blum of Salt Lake City, UT, and Hannah Blum of Boston, MA, as well as her children and their father, Stephen Greene of Amherst, MA, and many beloved cousins and friends.
All are welcome to share photos, songs, and videos, and memories here as a virtual memorial. An in-person memorial service will be held in March with details to come to be posted here and on CaringBridge (https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/toughasamother). In lieu of flowers, consider donating to one of the charities where Rachel was involved: the Community Harvest Project of Grafton, the Jane Fund, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund of Worcester, and the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden.
Memory wall
29 tributes have been left in memory of Rachel Blum.
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This photo was taken in the summer of 2014 in Rachel's garden when I (center) visited her, along with Diane Paxton (left). I first met both of them at Boston University, where we were all students in the theatrical design program. When I think about Rachel, I think of a woman with a completely unique blend of wonderful creativity and a practical matter-of-fact approach. She was easy to be with. One of the many things that I admire about Rachel was her going back to school to get a degree as a dietician. She worked so hard at it! On her first job she was sent to the Mayo Clinic to work for a month, and so I got to see her (I live in Minneapolis). I didn't know that would be the last time that I would see her in person. I so regret that I won't be able to visit her when I go out east for a visit. I never had the opportunity to meet you-- her children, but she talked about both of you! I am so sorry that you had to lose her too soon.
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This Tree of Life Quilt by Rachel was a gift commissioned by my mom. Rachel often said it was a gift to both of us, and a sly trick from Miriam to make us closer friends. It was Rachel's idea to make it a Tree of Life, and do it as her first and only appliqué quilt - always eager for a challenge. When I received it, it became my home, both a shelter and a comfort, and a reminder of family roots. The underside fabric was purchased by Rachel's mother Irene in the 1960s. It has fabric in it that my grandfather designed in the 1930s and 40s as well. Posting this photo as a visual image of Rachel's love, imagination, tenacity, design sense, and talent, and of our strong connection, but also as an image of her (and my) faith in nature, in life, in art, in community, in science, in democracy, in family, and in putting pieces together. No one could do this quite like Rachel. Grateful.
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A candle was lit in memory.
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Photo from Mark Ketcham in Fort Lauderdale
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So much love for this incredible friend.
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I only met Rachel as an adult with kids. One memory I have is of being at Wingaersheek Beach north of Boston in the aughts with Rachel, Eleanor, Harry, my kids and some other family/friends. Rachel's energy was so positive, curious, and present. We all had interesting and easy conversations with each other and the way her kids interacted with my younger kids was also very present and fun. Good apples from a life-giving tree. I'm also grateful for the family events (Bar/Bat Mitvahs) where we had a chance to connect. Rachel's memory will be an inspiration and a blessing for us all.
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So many memories involving Rachel. What a distinctive personality and wide range of interests she had. Her activism - she had just returned from the first cancer operation in Philly and had volunteered to canvas voters to support Beto O'Rourke, so off we went. Her deep love of all things family - she cultivated relationships with all of us who were her lucky relatives, drew us out to beaches near and far (my memories are of a wonderful day-long gathering at Duxbury Beach) and was the lively presence at family celebrations. Her exquisite artistry shining through her quilts, her knitting, her interesting and beautiful clothes. We shared a love of gardening, which was often a topic in long rambling conversations which would eventually cover politics, personal issues and anything and everything else. I have some of her iris, and we traded amaryllis plants back and forth. Her ease, her sharp wit, her graciousness as a hostess. Her positive and cheerful energy, seemingly effortless yet so dependable. Her fearlessness, leading her to offer support in difficult situations where others took flight, and of course to face her illness in a way that amazed me. Oh, Rachel, I will miss you so much.
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From Diane Paxton: Rachel was creative to her core; we've all been lucky that she shared her brilliance and generosity with us. I'm attaching a photo of the two of us in her beautiful and bountiful garden. She had a light touch with creating the vignettes, fire pit, and pathways to meander, respecting the characteristics of the plants and balancing them to shape her family's and visitors' experience. Yet, she was also bold, fearlessly transplanting mature shrubs and giving homes to unusual varieties that she became intrigued by at horticultural sales, at Tower Hill and other places. Anytime that I visited, she'd offer me something to take home-- in this photo, rhubarb, which she knew that I especially love. In any aspect of Rachel, she lived into her passion for these things. As a creative, brilliant, generous, bold, strong, and dedicated person, she was true to herself and us-- in her quilts, political work, garden, cooking, fighting her cancer, and most of all, her friendships. There are words, but none can express how much I will miss Rachel.
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Dear Eleanor and Harrison, I'm so very sorry to hear this sad news about your dear mother. Please know I'm thinking about you both as you mourn the loss of such a wonderful person in your lives. What a beautiful tribute you've made here in her memory, Eleanor. I had the great pleasure of working with your mom to photograph her Tree of Life quilt in October of 2008 which is when she finished it, I believe. I had greeting cards made for her with the photograph, pictured. What a wonderful memory of time spent getting to know Rachel. She will be missed.
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Miss you, dear friend
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Thank you for this lovely tribute, Eleanor. Rachel was sooo involved in so many things! She has truly been an inspiration and a treasured friend.
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Rachel made my wedding dress for me. It was not your usual wedding dress, but I still felt like a princess in it. There was a jacket that I took off for the reception, but the fun was going to G Street Fabrics in DC with her, all the fittings, secretly buying some fabric she loved as a thank you, and then having her at our wedding. She's remained a solid friend from BU to Eclipse.
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Remembering 25 terrific years with this dynamic, funny, intelligent and loving lady. I'd do it again in a minute.
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A candle was lit in memory.
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Rachel was a friend from Drexel University her freshman year. We all lived in the same dorm, and several of us became a "crew" that ate, played and generally just hung out together. She was always warm, bright eyes and a sincere smile, funny and kind. Her laugh is what I'll always remember about her and I am very sorry to be writing this now, and am very sorry for your loss.
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my sweet, brave , fierce, kind teacher and friend. i am thankful for your generous teachings you offered me to bring me to who i am today. i carry your kindness in my heart, your fierceness in my actions when necissary, to be brave in the face of change and sweetness in my unfolding healing. i carry you with me in my journey forward. i thank you for the support you offered me and send my prayers for a gentle embrace with pachamama as you return home to where i will join you one day. talon
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Here's a photo of Rachel as a delegate to the Democratic State Convention in 2018. She was also involved with the Diversity and Outreach Committee that the Grafton Dems started up this year. During her final months, Rachel hand-wrote nearly 200 letters with Vote Forward (votefwd.org) encouraging unlikely voters in swing states to vote - that's more than double the number of letters of the average Vote Forward volunteer. Between this and the various other organizations she was involved in, Rachel's commitment to building a better world was truly inspiring.
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Photo from Mark Ketcham in Fort Lauderdale
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Okay, it's a little blurry, but I wanted to share this memory of making cookies together at Rachel's, a family tradition started by Irene, continued by so many in our family. As usual, stretched to the limits of sanity..er...creativity. For many years, I would get a call from Rachel right about now to make a date for early December, bring the family, and do ... this. She always had a few batches of (Irene's recipes) cookies ready to eat too! Miss her so much, and amazed at how she lives on on those she touched. May her memory always be a blessing.
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