BURKHOLDER, Rachel, PhD.
prominent child psychologist in Tucson, passed away on September 21, 2016. The cause was complications from dementia. Rachel Baldwin Brent Burkholder (often known as RB3) was born on July 28, 1922 in Evanston, Illinois, the second child of John Ford Brent and Esther Baldwin Brent. She and her brother, Kelly, grew up in Highland Park, Illinois and graduated from Highland Park High School. In 1944 Rachel graduated from Brown University in Providence, RI. While there she was active in athletics as well as the arts, writing the annual Brownbrokers musical in 1944 (Scuttlebut), and playing center forward on the All New England Women's Field Hockey team. Following jobs with the American Red Cross, The Girl Scouts of America and Coronet films, Rachel and her best friend, Sarah Jane Hedgcock, traveled across the USA putting on "home talent shows" with the local townspeople. At the western end of that trip they stopped to visit Sara Jane's family who owned a ranch in Sonoita, and Rachel fell in love with Southern Arizona. Her first job in Tucson was as the manager of the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. While working there she met and then married James Burkholder, and they moved to Winterhaven where they raised their three children. In 1958 Rachel enrolled in graduate school at the University of Arizona, graduating in 1966 with a PhD in Educational Child Psychology under the mentorship of Dr. Ruth Strang. Dr. Burkholder was a founding member with her colleague Dr. Jean Baker of Behavior Associates, President of the Southern Arizona Mental Health Association and President of the Southern Arizona Reading association. Her backyard hosted four seasons of the Junior Patio Players musicals from 1967-70, and for many years she organized fundraising activities to build schools in Guatemala. She served on the Board of Directors of many Tucson organizations including the Montessori School House, the Invisible Theater and Casa de los Ninos. Throughout her life and career she was an outspoken advocate for children, tirelessly working to benefit families through her private practice and public involvement. She was a guest on the Phil Donohue show in the 1990s and always available to advise and inspire her colleagues, friends and the friends of her family. Rachel was known for the joy she found in life, her love of brunch, ballroom dancing, and big band music, and a tendency to ask for champagne to be poured into her glass from the treehouse in her Winterhaven backyard. She is survived by her daughter, Page; son, Kelly and his wife, Mary Bouley and son, Scott and his wife, Kelly Wolf, as well as six grandchildren, Margaux, Charlotte, Camila, James, Max and Mason; three step- grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and the many "extra children" she welcomed into her family. In her memory donations may be sent to Casa de los Ninos or the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus. The family can be contacted at rb3memorial@gmail.com.