Rachel Stone. A mother, coach, friend, teacher, wife and so much more, passed away as a result of a tragic car accident the morning of February 16, 2023. Mrs. Stone was driving along an icy 50 highway when a tractor trailer lost control. It was a hard day for LSHS. Rachel Stone impacted many students and teachers’ lives at Lee’s Summit High School. Now, they’re working to keep her memory alive and leave her a legacy. 

“She was my coach as well as my health teacher, but she was also a family friend of mine. She made it very easy, just someone to talk to and be around, and was a great help to me during volleyball and just help in general.” Junior Makayla Emry said. 

Class of 2026 and 2025 had Mrs. Stone as a teacher or coach during her last year. 

“She was a big help to the staff, and was a great person and teacher, as well as a volleyball coach. She cared about others and looked out for others, and always helped when needed.” Emry said. 

Mrs. Stone is commonly referred to as a kind and caring person. She would help the students in whatever ways she could.

“She was overall just really kind, really caring, very compassionate, and she actually helped me through my first panic attack, and helped me a lot with my anxiety and just general issues.” Senior Mason Thomas said.

Mrs. Stone was very close with many students. From helping students through tough situations, to saying hello in the halls, she was always there if needed. 

“She was very sweet, like, she’d see me in the hallway. She would be like, “Hey, Ashlee,” I’d be like, “Hey!” I missed that a lot, actually.” Junior Ashlee Bake said.

While she was here, Stone encouraged students to keep going. Even with her passing, she has continued to encourage students to persevere. 

“She really helped me believe in myself with volleyball and stuff and, like, if it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t, I probably would of quit.” Bake said.

Students honor Coach Stone’s memory by continuing to play volleyball. Instead of playing for themselves, they play for her. 

“She was a family friend of mine, and then when she was my coach, she was one of the only people I felt at the time believed in me, and when she died, I debated on quitting volleyball altogether, because it hurt too much to be a part of, but I continued club volleyball, and I do it for her now, because if I just give it up, then I don’t have anything to remember her by.” Emry said.

Students are not the only ones grieving. Fellow colleagues reflect on past memories made. 

“She had a lot of empathy towards students and teachers and situations, she was good at that type of thing, and then she was, she’s really pretty fun. Like to have a good time, like to make jokes and things like that.” P.E Teacher and Tennis Coach Jamie Voelker said. 

Mrs. Stone’s death came as a shock. As she was most likely headed to school that morning, students and teachers dealt with their grief for the rest of the school day.

“You get this phone call that someone has died in a fatal car wreck. And it’s really hard to believe, but actually, our roads are very dangerous, and it happens all the time. Unfortunately.”  Voelker said. 

Coach Voelker has organized a fundraiser for Mrs. Stone set for Friday, August 30, before the first football game of the season. 

“So it’s just a school wide tailgate. Anybody who’s connected to the school, whether they be alumni, current students, retired teachers, just come and kind of have a sense of community.” Voelker said.

The fundraiser is for a scholarship in Mrs. Stone’s name. The goal is to raise a minimum of $10,000 to start the scholarship. 

“Rachel was big about family. And this is a family in some ways, so just come celebrate her legacy, and then all that money will go directly towards scholarships for our students to apply for.” Voelker said.

Not only will the fundraiser raise money for the scholarship, it will also help students and teachers gather together in remembrance of a fallen Mrs. Stone. 

“It can help somebody in some way, and it brings our school back together, and gives us a reason to like, show school spirit and just be a family.” Emry said.

Remembrance isn’t the only result of the scholarship, it’s also giving students another reason to persevere in times of hardships. 

“Part of the point is to remember who we lost and that we shouldn’t just give up. That’s actually why I quite like the scholarship, because it’s kind of just telling you don’t give up just because this happened.” Thomas said.

With this scholarship, Mrs. Stone will always be remembered as a teacher and coach who did everything she could to help her students succeed. Whether it be volleyball or life, Coach Stone will continue to play a part at Lee’s Summit High School. 

“A legacy, year after year, there’ll be a scholarship, and just kind of remember who she was, and how she always wanted to help the kids so that money would go back to her.” Voelker said.