Rachel Gill’s life revolved around the search for two things: peace and justice.
She devoted much of her time to issues pertaining to civil rights, the homeless and the less fortunate, and served as a leader and inspiration to many, friends and family said.
Civil rights and equality had always struck a chord in Gill’s heart. In 1964, she and her family moved to the Penn Center historic district in South Carolina, site of one of the first schools for freed slaves, where they worked to bring equality and better conditions to the black community. But Gill’s wish for desegregation began much earlier than that, said her husband, Everett “Buddy” Gill of Black Mountain, N.C.
“When she was in high school, she knew the city buses were segregated,” he said. “So she rode one time in the back of the bus because she said she ‘wanted to see what it was like to sit back there.’ She always cared about things like that.”
The family moved to Atlanta in 1970 and joined Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur. At the time, Oakhurst was one of the first churches making efforts to end discrimination against both the black community and women. Gill was very involved in the church’s efforts, and in 1972 she became one of the first two women in Georgia to be named a deacon by a Southern Baptist church.
“We had to be very involved in the church for them to even think about ordaining us, and we changed the position from a more business approach to a more servant approach,” said Sue Woolf, who was ordained alongside Gill. “Before that, deacons were always men.”
Rachel Granger Gill, 82, of Black Mountain, N.C., and Atlanta died Jan. 22 of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at Highland Farms Retirement Community in Black Mountain. A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Feb. 8 at First Baptist Church in Weaverville, N.C. Harwood Home for Funerals in Black Mountain was in charge of the cremation arrangements.
Along with working to help those less fortunate and raising a family, Gill also liked to write about her journeys. In the early 1980s, she began writing for the magazine Missions USA, often pairing with a photojournalist and traveling across the country to cover stories of those who, much like her, were devoting their lives to others, said her former editor, Wayne Grinstead.
“She was all about going into a place and trying to help people that are the most vulnerable,” he said. “One of her gifts was being able to relate to people in a nonjudgmental, nonthreatening way, and they opened up to her. That’s what made her such a good reporter and investigator.”
According to those who knew her, one of the most inspiring things about Gill was that she was a strong advocate of helping those less fortunate, yet she did everything humbly and quietly. She had a sweet and kind spirit, which allowed her to find the best in every situation, Grinstead said.
“Rachel was just an incredibly kind and giving person,” he said. “She was a kind and gentle spirit in an unsettling and often hostile world.”
In addition to her husband, Gill is survived by a daughter, Emily Gill of Asheville, N.C.; a son, Stephen T. Gill of Decatur; a sister, Josephine Fleming of Orlando; and a granddaughter.
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