Rachael Twigg, 42, of Highlands, born June 3, 1980, passed away July 28, 2022, of breast cancer. She is survived by her husband Christopher Moran and their children, Scottie and Clancy.
She was the daughter of Barbara Johnson Twigg of Red Bank and the late Robert Scott Twigg of Little Silver. Rachael is also survived by a sister, Jennifer Spagnuolo of Monmouth Beach; brothers, Lee Hoagland of Long Branch and Shawn Hoagland of Fair Haven; along with five nieces, one nephew, and a bunch of aunts, uncles and first cousins.
Rachael was born in Miami Beach, Florida, although lived most of her childhood in Avon-by-the-Sea. Rachael attended Red Bank Regional High School and was a starter on the girls basketball 1998 D3 state championship team that was later inducted into the RBR Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2003 she graduated University of North Carolina, Charlotte with a B.A. in literature.
Rachael went on to Patterson Teaching Academy from 2004-06, then taught at Lakewood High School 2006-12, then at Neptune City Middle School from 2012-22. During her tenure she also coached girls basketball.
Rachael had a strong passion for reading and writing. She is described as a teacher who gained respect from her students through actively listening to their specific learning needs.
Rachael loved the sea breezes in the Highlands from her beach cottage and was an avid gardener. She loved being a part of the Highlands community; she was a local summertime bartender at Sallie Tee’s in Monmouth Beach and On the Deck in Atlantic Highlands. She was a lifetime Mets fan. She had an incredible support team from lifetime friends. Rachael absolutely loved being a mom and she created a loving home for her children to aspire and grow in. She will be deeply missed by all those she touched.
Services are private and under the direction of Thompson Memorial Home of Red Bank. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rachael’s name to The Beauty Foundation for Cancer Care at beautyfoundationnj.com. The Beauty Foundation for Cancer Care’s mission is to alleviate the overwhelming financial and emotional strains that cancer treatments place on families and to help inspire the courage, strength and confidence that is needed to fight cancer.
The article originally appeared in the August 18 – 24, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
