Obituary: Rachel Brundred Ravey Johnson-Reed-Pattison

 

Rachel Brundred Ravey Johnson-Reed-Pattison died peacefully at home with her family on October 6, 2025. She was 88 years old but had the spirit, laugh and appearance of one much younger. She was an adventuress like her mother.

 

Rachel was married to the Reverend Carl F. Pattison for 39 years.

 

She has two dear daughters with her late husband Royal C. Johnson: Elizabeth (Beth) Johnson Groombridge (Lee) of Canada, and Leah Bradford Johnson of Brownsburg, Virginia.

 

Rachel leaves behind her beloved grandson Carson James Groombridge also of Canada.

 

Rachel has one sister, Elizabeth Dilworth Ravey Pearce (Bill). Sister time was very important to them as their parents died when they were relatively young.

 

Carl’s children Israel and Jeremiah Pattison, and Mary Tindal (Roger) were very special to Rachel and became her own.

 

Rachel’s “adopted” daughter Mara Marecic of Pennsylvania was dearly loved.

 

Rachel was born in Toledo, Ohio but grew up in Fox Chapel, near Pittsburgh. Her parents were Elizabeth Dilworth Brown Ravey (daredevil!) and Lee Foust Ravey (admired the daredevil!). Rachel mimicked her mother, climbing onto roofs and living in a real tree house by age 3.

 

Adventures guided her life: Spelunking/Caving, Rock Climbing, Sky Diving, Kayaking, Hiking, and anything to do with WATER. Nature was a friend to be protected, and she was a Certified Virginia Master Naturalist, an activist with Earth First, and multiple environmental and animal protection groups including Greenpeace, PETA, and Monroe County Animal League.

 

Educationally, she was a slow starter and graduated from Hood College (BA) with B’s and C’s. However, she applied herself at Eastern Mennonite University (BSN) and at University of Nebraska (MA). She also took graduate work at 4 other schools, including University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

There was diversity in her career: Lifeguard, Swimming Teacher, Caving Instructor, Mental Health RN/Counselor, Social Worker, Guidance Counselor and College Faculty Member. She was loved and appreciated by her students.

 

Rachel’s wonderful spouse Carl, who she met as a fellow caver, and with whom she shared Canadian adventures at her island and on Lake Superior’s great sea adventure, Pukaskwa. Carl served many churches locally, primarily Lutheran & Presbyterian, but also multiple denominations in supportive capacities.

 

As a pioneer, Rachel had a natural burial at The Meadows outside Lexington, Virginia, in the expectation of recycling and contributing to the sustenance of many other plant and life forms—a farewell gift to nature.

 

Rather than memorials that decay, please honor Rachel by a charitable gift to Greenpeace or our local SPCA.

 

And please consider this: The Earth and all its entities are suffering from our greed and lack of empathy for them.