The Funeral Service
After watching the service online, if you can leave a guest message to let the family know you have joined into the service, that would be greatly appreciated.
This service will have a password applied once edited (normally within 3 to 5 days following the service), you will then need to contact the family for the password to access.
Sending love and condolences. It was a beautiful and moving celebration of lovely Rachael’s life.
Thank you to Rachael’s family for making this video available to those of us who couldn’t be there. Dear Rachael, thank you for the many years of friendship, singing, thoughtful conversation, good old Eltham jokes, live gigs and Irish jigs. May you rest in heavenly peace. With love from Copenhagen, Cecilia.
To Dear Anne, Lindsay and families, I am so saddened to hear of the passing of your dearly loved and precious Daughter Rachel, so young and so much loved. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Carmel Meehan.❤️❤️
Sending all my love to Lindsay, Anne, Vanessa and Nicola and your extended families, and to Rachael’s dear friends, old and new.
It was lovely getting to know your girl through this service. How special she is. I walked along plenty river immediately afterwards and breathed deep the smell of eucalyptus. A scent I shall associate with Rachael forever more.
My heart breaks for all of you and wish you courage and peace as you navigate from here without your Rachael beside you earthbound.
Much, much love,
Rachel Goonan – OLHC and CLC fellow student x
Our deepest condolences to all of Racheal’s family. We will always have fond memories from Rachael’s Eltham schooling years and those fab four girls!
Thanks for allowing us to share Rachael’s life in a beautiful service that we attended in person or on line. Loved her music.
Love Fogarty family
We know your heart is aching and we are thinking of you with comfort and love. Sending you prayers for strength as you find your way through each day.
My condolences to Anne, Lindsay, Vanessa and Nicola at this very sad time. Thank you for sharing this beautiful service with us.
Rachael was such a talented, intelligent, beautiful, patient, creative, loving and gentle person. Just being in her presence could put you at ease. Every year I looked forward to my birthday card from Rachael. She always created the most amazing and creative cards. I was always amazed by the effort she put in. They would have taken her hours.
I have so many fond and beautiful memories of the time we spent together in primary school and throughout our teenage years. The awesome foursome will never be the same without her.
Dear Vanessa. Sending love and prayers to you and your family. It was a beautiful service that allowed us to see how beautiful, gentle, kind and inspirational, Rachael was. Thank you. X
I hope nature and the Earth now get a chance to fully appreciate the deep love you carried for them and that together you may experience peace and tranquility that was always radiating from within during your time here. May your song now truly become an elemental force of nature itself, like we always knew it was. With pain in our hearts we acknowledge the joy, harmony and resonance you brought to so many lives around you and to many more that you will never know. Love, always.
Sending all my love and prayers to Vanessa and family. The service was so beautiful and even though I had never met Rachael I gained a good insight to how special and inspirational she was to everyone. Love Jo xx
Dear Anne and Lindsay
Such a beautiful and appropriate farewell for Rachael. May the memories of Rachael’s short life give you strength and heal your broken hearts.
I’m very sad to be saying goodbye to my very first friend but so privileged to be able to call her that. Rachael encouraged us all to be ourselves around her, never giving out judgment even if our singing was off. There are not many teenage girls that would play Enya to her friends to help them get to sleep. I will be calling Rachael in to visit me through nature, while I’m cradled by the gums and by the waters. I will sing for her and play Rachael’s music to have her close and to ensure her vibrant kind spirit lives on and is honoured.
My love to you Anne, Lindsay, Nicla. Vanessa and family. I thank you for always welcoming myself and others to your home, for putting up with the loud music, pop movies and late nights of girls giggling. All memories that helped form us and memories I will treaure.
My love always
Clarissa xx
Condolences to all the family.another angel in heaven R.I.P. Rachael xxx
Dear Lindsay, Anne, Nicla, & Vanessa, sending my prayers to each of you as you process the loss of such a beautiful spirit & light in your lives. I wish I’d had the privilege to know Rach longer than just the last year in a half but I will treasure each conversation we shared. She was such a wonderful, sweet & kind friend and was also a great comfort after my own loss. We came to share and laugh about much that we shared in common interests. Gardening, nature and creativity were some of our favourite subjects and I am sad to say that I never got to see her sing in person. She had such a beautiful voice!, She often spoke of how much she had missed being able to sing in venues over the last few years and her hopes of starting up an open mic at venues to find and share talent. Her ceremony was absolutely beautiful. What a very representative tribute to her life, passions and the love she brought the world. Rest in peace beautiful Rachael, I will very much miss our conversations and your laugh as we spoke late into the night. From one night owl to another xx
To Lindsay and Anne and Family, we felt very honoured to be part of the Wonderful Farewell Ceremony and Lovely Tribute to your Beautiful Daughter Rachel. She certainly lived a life that made her so Happy and one with Nature. Her songs and lovely voice gladdened our Hearts and Souls. She would be Proud of the Courage you all showed with your Loving Words. Sending Love and Comforting Hugs to you All. Jill and Ian Llewellyn.
I was blessed to have only known beautiful Rach in this last year
We formed a very close friendship to which i am so so grateful
What a lovely service, thankyou for allowing me to be apart of
My deepest condolences to you all
An amazing, beautiful, strong, creative, selfless soul
Forever in my heart
Love you Rach Xox
Dear Anne, Lindsay, Vanessa, Mark, Alice, Chloe, Elizabeth, Nicola, Family and Friends,
A very moving tribute to Rachael and although I had never met her gave a thorough insight into her life, She would have been a beautiful and inspirational person to know.
Thinking of you all at this very sad time and sending my Best Wishes for your strength in coping with your enormous loss.
Michelle Colley xx
Dear Lindsay and Anne,
Keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers. It was a lovely ceremony that celebrated Rachel’s life and conveyed to those who did not know her what a beautiful and talented person Rachel was. May you find comfort in the knowledge that her spirit now rests in peace in our Loving Father’s hands, and that she will be watching over you.
Love
Fran from St Anthony’s
A privilege and honour to have known and celebrated Rachel’s life. Her smile is etched in my mind and heart and she now is the star shining brightly in the night sky looking over her beloved family friends and Mother Earth. Sending blessings of love and peace to Mr and Mrs Byrnes, Vanessa, Nicola and family
Mr and Mrs Byrnes, Vanessa, Nicola and all the Byrnes extended family
You held a wonderful and moving service that celebrated Rachael and the impact she had on so many people.
We send our condolences to you all on this sad day.
Rachael, thank you for your loving Heart.
Dear, Beautiful Rach,
While your send off is far too soon, that was a send off that reflected so much of you. Your incredible spirit, kind heart, and brilliant mind.
You taught me about good coffee and why I am now a coffee snob (I still can’t look at a Genovese umbrella and not think of you), soul music, and the environment.
You have touched so many people and you will NEVER be forgotten.
I send the biggest hugs to your friends and family.
I will never forget you beautiful girl.
Love Megs. xoxo
Dear Vanessa and family. Sending love and prayers. So very sad to farewell Rachael but you did so with grace, love and care. Beautiful to witness. Kate x
To Rachael’s family & friends, my very deepest condolences. She may be physically gone but her beautiful spirit and soul will live for ever. She touched the hearts of so many, and had so many talents. She definitely was a gift to this world love prag
Dearest Anne and Lindsay our hearts and love and prayers are with you very much. What a beautiful service for dear Rachael. Much love in our hearts for you. Barrie and Carolyn.
Dear Lindsay, Anne, Nicola, Vanessa and families – I am so sorry for your loss. I am a friend of Vanessa’s so did not know Rachael but I feel i know a little now of the wonderful woman, daughter, sister, aunty, friend, artist and earth lover that she was. It was a beautiful service. Thinking of you all.
Love from Fiona O’Keefe
Soar above us now and be a guiding light to us all.
Rest now beautiful angel for I’m sure much is to come for you yet.
Rachael was a dear friend in Christ. We shared many prayers together at our Prayer and Meditation Group meetings. I have fond memories in the chats we shared online. I’m in Galveston, Texas, USA. God bless all the family with His comforting presence. Thank you for sharing this time with those of us who loved her. She remains in our thoughts and memories.
Rachael, I feel you were just too beautiful for our world. Love you sweet xxx
Renee B.
What a beautiful celebration of Rachael’s life, such a gifted & talented woman an inspiration to us all.
Sending love & heartfelt sympathy to Anne, Lindsay, Vanessa, Nicla & family.
Love Heather Willigers RIP Rachael
Beautiful and moving service
A beautiful service and farewell for such a gracious and wonderful woman, only have the fondest memories of Rachael. Condolences to Rachael’s family and friends.
What an incredible woman Rachael was. Sending much love to you all. Thank you for sharing her life with us. xx
Our deepest sympathy to you all at this very sad time. Rachael was a shining light and will continue to be. You will be very missed Rach.
Lots of Love Tara, Chris and the Mad Hatters
I had the privilege and honour of singing duets with Rachael about 20 years ago, at an Aged Care Facility with a group I had called “Silver Lining”
Her talent and loving personality and love of life were outstanding and inspiring. I love her original music, what a talent.
My deepest condolences to her family.
Rachael and I were very close in our late teens and 20s. I met her at uni and was drawn to her zest for life, her humour and her beautiful creative spirit. We lived in Darwin at the same time and she was my bridesmaid. Such a special person with an incredible voice and talent. We were kindred spirits. We hadn’t seen each other in some time but she will always hold a special place in my heart. I am so saddened by her loss and wishing the family so much love
With you, Anne and Lindsay, and family, with love and support.
With you, Anne and Lindsay and family, with love and support.
Our beautiful Rachael we were so blessed to have you touch our lives, your kindness and gentle spirit will forever remain in hearts. Our sincerest condolences Lindsay, Anne and family may you find peace knowing she is in Gods embrace in his Kingdom.
With all our Love Jeadan & The Fellowship xxx
I am not attending the funeral of Rachael as I have within my own spiritual practice already participated in a ceremony to help her transcend. She is in my thoughts and prayers today as are those of her family and friends. In love and light. Janie
Sending our thoughts and prayers to all of Rachel’s family and friends today. Sadly Geoff and I are unable to attend in person today but will be watching the streaming service.
Rachel was a gentle and kind soul and we enjoyed getting to know her over the past year.
Heartbroken that I can not attend. Rach was such a big part of my early life and so was your family. I drove past Marlow place yesterday and it still looks the same. Condolences from our whole family to yours xx
To dear Vanessa, Mark, Alice, Chloe and Liz. My heart is broken for you. Rachael was such a talented, creative and beautiful person. A lovely Aunty to the girls and beautiful sister. I hope you find comfort in knowing she was living her dream through her music and creativity. Such a huge loss.
Much love always
Fiona x
Trish & Colin Taylor
This is the live streaming link and general provision for comments in the Guest Book. The funeral is on Tuesday 8th Feb at 11am at OLHC .
Dear Lindsay and Anne,
I think we may have missed Rachael’s farewell but nevertheless we hope it’s not too late to send you our deepest sympathy. May she rest in a wonderful softness and sweetness and may you find strength in those close to you.
Trish & Colin Taylor
Extremely disappointed I can’t be at Rachel’s funeral. Thinking of you all at this sad time