Rachel Holmes Cruzan

Rachel Holmes Bennett Cruzan departed this life on Friday, November 16 at Sinai Hospital, Baltimore. Born November 15, 1930 in Baltimore, MD she was the daughter of the late William H. Holmes and the late Marie F. Holmes. Rachel grew up in Bel Air, Maryland.

She was preceded in death by her daughter Julia Bennett Stamper and son James Wayne Bennett. She is survived by daughters Mary Leslie (Bennett) Radcliff of Proctorville, Ohio and Rachel Bennett Yeager of Baltimore, and sons William Bennett of Baltimore, Allen H. Bennett of Towson, and Lawrence W. Bennett of Baltimore. She is survived by her fifteen grandchildren (Michelle Yeager Streckfus, Sarah Radcliff, Sarah Stamper Prediger, Taylor Radcliff, John Yeager, Ryan Stamper, Katie Radcliff, Jesse Stamper, Gregory Bennett, Andrew Bennett, Patrick Phillips, James Phillips, Savannah Bennett, Pierce Bennett, and Grace Bennett) and 4 great grandchildren (Julia Prediger, Michael Streckfus, Colin Prediger, and Bennett Stamper). She lived the past 11 years in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where she is survived by her sister Mary Holmes Schafer, and her nieces and nephew (Annette Bowman, Anne Marie Grimes, and Charlie Schafer). She was also preceded in death by her husbands, Robert Ebert, Wally Bennett, and William Cruzan. She recently relocated to Timonium, Maryland.

Rachel graduated from Western Maryland College in 1957. She spent most of the 1950's, 60's and 70's as a working mother of seven children. She taught music and art for a period at North Harford High School and English and Literature at Bel Air High. She completed her Master of Arts at Johns Hopkins University in 1968. Her abilities in teaching and as an artist inspired both her children and students. She was voted as the "Most Favorite Teacher" at Bel Air High School six years in a row. In her later years she focused on water colors from the beautiful beaches that she lived by in Florida.

Rachel had a beautiful smile and wonderful creativity, artfully demonstrated in her paintings. She was the very first Queen of the Chesapeake in 1948, and left a legacy of Queens around the Baltimore area. She will surely be missed by many.