Rachel Diana (Cherry) Hudson, 43, of Hinsdale passed away Jan. 13, 2021, at her home surrounded by her family.
Rachel was born in 1977, to Maureen McMahan and Dr. James Cherry in DuBois, Penn. She grew up in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pa., and graduated from the Taylor Allderdice High School in 1996.
Rachel graduated from Colgate University in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in history. She was awarded the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which allowed her a year of independent study in Moscow. She then attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston. She graduated from Fletcher with an master's degree in international law and diplomacy in 2003.
Rachel began working in 2003 for Archer Daniels Midland Co., where she progressed from financial analyst to vice president and treasurer of ADM and chief financial officer of the Carbohydrates Solutions business unit. Rachel was fortunate to be able to live and work in many foreign locations during her career, including Russia, Germany, Switzerland and Brazil. She was fluent in both Russian and Portuguese.
On July 1, 2006, Rachel married Brian Hudson at Hilton Head, S.C. Their daughter, Grace, was born on Oct. 16, 2010, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Rachel had many passions. She loved spending time with her family, whether cheering at a soccer game, cooking fantastic Italian dishes in her kitchen or experiencing other parts of the world with her daughter. She loved to travel, to share and absorb new cultures, foods and experiences. She also loved her work. She loved the challenges it presented, and the friends she developed along the way.
Rachel is survived by her husband, Brian Hudson; her daughter, Grace; her mother, Maureen McMahan; her father and stepmother, Dr. James and Eileen Cherry; her brother, Dr. Shane (Angie) Cherry; her stepsisters, Kristi (Phil) Demeter and Kelly (Carol) Akesson; her mother- and father-in-law, Joyce and Jerry Hudson; her sister-in-law, Becky (Ryan) Splichal; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made online to the American Cancer Society at https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/rachelhudsonmemorialfund.
A private funeral services was held Jan. 19. Burial will take place at a later date.
Brian Powell Funeral Directors of Hinsdale handled the arrangements.
