Jeannie

Rawley

June 29, 1957
to December 31, 2011

Mrs. Rawley was a beloved teacher, mother, wife, and daughter. She loved her third-graders, her family, and her dog, Bodie. She will be missed by everyone who knew her. Since 1999, she served as a full-time teacher at OES, where she inspired others by often riding her bicycle to school and by teaching yoga to her colleagues and students.

Letter From Mo Copeland and Phillip Craig

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Dear Families of the OES Community,

It is with great sadness that we write to share important news with you. While skiing on Mount Hood yesterday morning, with her husband Dan and their three children, beloved Third Grade teacher Jeannie Rawley suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. She was taken by Life Flight to Legacy Emanuel Hospital, where she passed away mid-afternoon.

Jeannie's warmth, enthusiasm, and complete enjoyment and delight in working with children have been a blessing to this school, our students, and our families for over 12 years. She touched countless lives over the course of that time, and this is a tragic loss for all of us who knew her, worked with her, and were taught by her. Phillip visited with the Rawley family last night and again today in their home. Although they were in understandable shock from the events of the day, they were grateful for the love, care, and support they knew they could count on from the entire OES school community. It will be our honor to hold the community celebration for Jeannie's life in our Chapel. That event will likely take place toward the end of January.

For all of us, this is an enormous shock. There will be difficult days to come. We want to assure you of the tremendous support structure already in place at the school. The families of Jeannie's current class have been contacted in person. Our administrators, chaplains and counselors are focused on the support of our students and their families as they process Jeannie's passing. There will continue to be information available regarding plans and resources from the school as the next few weeks progress. To that end, parents are invited to a gathering in our Chapel on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. This will be an opportunity to be together as a community as we process our grief, as well as to hear the latest information, consider parent needs and concerns, and offer support to one another.

Although this in an unimaginable event, Jeannie's passing was quick and painless. It happened while Jeannie was doing one of her favorite things--spending time on the mountain with her beloved family. For that we can even now be grateful.

Please feel free to contact either of us with any questions or concerns. And we invite you to keep the Rawley family in your thoughts and prayers.

Regards,

Mo Copeland, Head of School, and Phillip Craig, Head Chaplain

Resources for Families

  • Read the obituary from the Oregonian on OregonLive.
  • The Dougy Center, located in Portland, is a nationally and internationally known grief support and resource center for children, youth, adults and families.
  • Sad Isn't Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing with Loss, by Michaelene Mundy, Abbey Press, 1998. Available at Powell's Books.

Photos (click to enlarge)


  • Last spring, Mrs. Rawley wanted her students photographed with her dog, Bodie, who often visited in the classroom.

  • Every year Mrs. Rawley took her students to the End of the Oregon Trail Museum as part of their study of Oregon history. She is shown with students in 2006.

  • Oregon history studies included dressing as pioneers and doing a traditional line dance, which Mrs. Rawley enjoyed as much as the students.