Rachel Pomeroy was the pretty blonde girl with the spunky entrance at 4:30 in the afternoon.

She took the time to dance mid-workout if the song was right. She cared about everyone. She loved the gym so much, she took pictures of it when it was empty. She wanted to get better every day and it showed in her CrossFit workouts.

She tried so hard one morning working out that she chipped a tooth and became known as ‘Chippy.’ She was consistent with her happiness and consistently made others happy. She was a mature 20. She was a goofball, too.

“(Rachel Pomeroy) left a mark on all of us here,” Mic and Liane Santo, Moscow CrossFit owners, said in an email. “She was part of our family. She won’t be forgotten.”

Pomeroy died in a car crash on Jan. 8 while driving back to Pullman in snowy conditions on Highway 26. The crash occurred just west of Washtucna.

She grew up with two brothers and a sister in Monroe. Her mother, Margaret Pomeroy, said though Rachel got into several colleges, including UW, she chose WSU because she liked sunshine.

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Margaret said Rachel was a leader in everything she did. She had a strong musical background and played a variety of instruments from saxophones to drums.

“Nothing was an impossible challenge for her,” Margaret said.

Rachel was studying to be a NICU nurse, taking care of newborns with problems like birth defects and prematurity.

WSU Senior Kim Reed said Pomeroy was passionate about helping people and would go out of her way to do so.

“She was and is a wonderful spirit,” Kaylee Lawrence, Rachel’s roommate, said. “Her beautiful light is what everyone should and will remember.”

Rachel’s boyfriend, Jack Ray, is a University of Idaho student and Moscow firefighter. Ray said Rachel was passionate about many things aside from nursing and helping people, including CrossFit, education and animals.

“But Rachel’s ability to love truly trumped anybody else’s,” he said. “We were so in love and absolutely happy with each other.”

Ray said their dates consisted of visits to the animal shelters and drinking coffee while reading books. They both worked out at Moscow CrossFit, he said.

“Her dedication in the gym shined through to others,” Ray said. “She was an inspiration to so many. So many hearts are broken with her passing. A part of my soul died with her.”

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Moscow CrossFit member Dustin Edwards only knew Rachel for five months, but said he could see how good her heart was.

“What I remember most about her is she was a perpetual smiler,” Edwards said. “She was selfless and she really listened when someone else was talking to her. Rachel was a rare person who genuinely looked out for those around her. The world was a better place when she was in it. Her passing makes me want to emulate her kindness because I know celebrating her life in that way will only make me a better person. It is my deepest hopes and prayers that she is now resting in heavenly peace.”

Another Moscow CrossFit member, Tim McCoy, said Rachel was one of the most genuine, kind and loving people he’s ever met, even through periods of injuries.

“From the moment we met she was my friend,” McCoy said. “I think that’s true with anyone she met. Always smiling and building people up. Even through her own pain from injury, she smiled and encouraged others. She made her boyfriend and soulmate, Jack, into an even better version of the great man he already was. Rachel was a true angel among us while on this earth. We miss her terribly. She will always be a part of our (Moscow CrossFit) family.”

Margaret said Rachel had a good group of people surrounding her, including her family, friends and everyone with whom she came into contact. She expects over 400 people to attend the funeral service in Monroe. The service will also be streamed live at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday at the CUB.

WSU senior Kim Reed said Rachel was loved by everyone and will always be in the hearts of those who have met her.

“She always made you feel comfortable to be yourself, so any time spent with her was wonderful and it was always a good laugh,” she said. “One thing that I always admired in Rachel was her loyalty and her ability to stand up for what she believed in. If any of her friends needed help she would rush to help them and she would not back down when it came to what she wanted to do.”

Rachel was also a strong and independent person, Reed said.

“I want people to remember her strength and her generosity,” she said. “Remember that she was always there for you whether you knew her or not. I want people to remember that she was a beautiful soul and that she did great things and accomplished a lot in the time that she had. Honestly, words can’t describe how great of a person she was.”

Ray said Rachel will not only be remembered for the things that she did, but also as the great person she always was.

“People should remember her beauty, inside and out,” he said. “They should remember her dedication in the gym, at school and in her relationships. They should remember the way she loved and use that as inspiration for them to love.”