KETCHIKAN, Alaska - Rachel Veilleux Stromme, of Ketchikan, Alaska, died peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on Aug. 25, following a courageous battle with cancer. She was 50 years young.She was born on July 26, 1955, in Lewiston, to Norman and Madeline (Nadeau) Veilleux. She attended Lewiston schools and graduated in 1973 from Hinckley School in Hinckley.Having a sense of adventure, she moved from Maine to Alaska in 1980, where she was able to experience life in the wilderness as a trail builder for the U.S. Forest Service and a cook on the Boyer Towing tugs, as well as on the Alaska Range-Bonnefield for R.A.A Geology.It was cooking on the tugs and destiny when she found her "True North," Stan Stromme. The tug she was cooking on in 1984 answered a distress call from another tug on which Stan was working that had gone aground on Ignace Island at Point San Rafael. They were married in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Dec. 21, 1985.She will be remembered by her friends and loved ones as a beautiful, sincere, outgoing and loving woman. They will remember her wonderful dinner parties with deliciously prepared meals, her generous hospitality and her beautiful flower gardens. More than any other pastime, she loved the time spent on the "Miss Claire," exploring Southeast with her "True North" and friends. She was also known for her way with animals and along with Stan, raised three beautiful dogs, Balou, Akela and Ole and a wonderful cat, Mama B.She was a person who listened with her heart, lived with compassion and followed her dreams. She will be sadly missed by all whose lives she has touched.She is survived by her husband, Stan, of Ketchikan, Alaska; parents, Norman and Madeline Veilleux; brother, Pierre Veilleux; and sister, Marie Murphy, all of Lewiston; lifelong friend, Susan Angelides Leeman of Ketchikan, Alaska; and 13 nieces and nephews.