Rachel Glazebrook, the assistant coach for the Lady Bulldogs softball team, passed away last Wednesday, Oct. 24, in her home. As Union University mourns the passing of a loved one, they also remember her for who she was: a loving, kind, Christ-like individual.
Before coming to Union, Glazebrook played softball for North Greenville University, a private, Southern Baptist university located in South Carolina. Her senior year, Glazebrook won the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year after winning 45 games in four seasons. She was a three-time all-conference player and made the Conference Carolina’s all-tournament team twice over her athletic career. According to a North Greenville University piece on her, she posted a school record .395 batting average in 2012. Glazebrook had talent, and it saddened the hearts of those at these schools and elsewhere to hear of her passing.
“Rachel loved the game of softball,” said Sarah Hall, head coach of the softball team at NGU. “She was extremely talented at pitching and hitting, and she was one of those players that was fun to watch. She found joy in being a great teammate and competitor.”
Glazebrook was brought to Union to be the pitching coach, and the ladies on the team loved her.
“She was unapologetic about her faith,” said Haley Barnette, senior chemistry major and first baseman for the softball team. “She always encouraged us to grow in our faith and be a light to others.”
“In loving God and loving others, she was always intentional,” said Mackenzie Sher, head coach of the softball team at Union. “She took time to be with each person, even while she wasn’t working.”
Despite only joining the coaching staff this fall, the players and Sher agree that Glazebrook did more than most could have. She worked hard with the players, loving them, throwing pitches that nobody could hit and sharing her testimony with the players.
“Some of the girls have said that she made them fall in love with the game again,” said Barnette. “Everyone loved her, and she loved us right back.”
When looking for one word to describe Glazebrook and her presence on the team, Sher said “energy.” Everyone remembers Glazebrook for her infectious laugh, her smile and her constant upbeat temperament.
“I’ll always remember the little wrinkles around her eyes when she smiled,” said Barnette.
After last Wednesday, Glazebrook’s parents visited the campus, spending some time with the softball team.
“The whole time I was with them, they were just praising God, thanking him, glorifying him,” Sher said.
It’s easy to see where Glazebrook’s attitude and constant joyfulness came from, and Sher talked about how Glazebrook continues to influence the team.
“We had a player baptized Sunday,” she said. “It’s just awesome to see [God’s] hand in everything.”
The Lady Bulldogs saw Christ more clearly through Rachel Glazebrook, and they take comfort in knowing where she is today.
“Her dad told us when we met him, we shouldn’t go out on the field and play for Coach G, but go out and play for the glory of God, just as she did,” Barnette said. “We miss her so much, but we know that God is working through it all and that He ultimately will be glorified.”
The following service information is from an email sent by Todd Brady, the VP for University Ministries:
Services for Rachel Glazebrook will be held on Sunday, November 4 at the Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 6150 Old Buncombe Rd, Greenville, SC with burial in Mountain View Memorial Park in Travelers Rest, SC. Visitation is from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the church prior to the “Celebration of God’s Faithfulness to Rachel.”
Condolences can be sent to Rachel’s parents at Bob and Sharon Glazebrook, 291 Phillips Trail, Greenville, SC 29609.
