Rachel Banov Gould of Alexandria, Virginia, died peacefully on March 28, 2012, after a courageous battle against cancer, with her beloved husband, Ben Gould, by her side.Besides Ben, she is survived by her loving mother, Marla Banov of Kensington, Maryland; her devoted father, Alan Banov (Sandra B. Cave) of Kensington, Maryland; her cherished sister, Jessica L. Banov; her doting aunt and uncle, Jane Banov Bergen and Les Bergen; her caring cousins, Leah Bergen and Joel Bergen; her great uncle, Arthur Landesman; as well as numerous friends.Rachel was the granddaughter of Rita and Dr. Leon Banov of Charleston, South Carolina and Anne and Samuel Needel of Stoughton, Massachusetts, all of whom adored her and predeceased her.Rachel, a native of Kensington, graduated from Walter Johnson High Scholl and the University of Michigan, where she received a B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Political Science. Among her numerous accolades at Michigan, Rachel won the William J. Branstrom Freshman Prize; she was an Angell Scholar; a member Psi Chi (nation psychology honor society) and the Golden Key National Honor Society. She also won the UM Sweetland Writing Center Callaway Prize for her essay, "Reforming the Human Service Delivery System through Community Collaborations."In 2005 Rachel earned an MA in Public Policy from the Georgetown University Public Policy Institue. She was a member of the Emerging Leader program with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She most recently worked as a program analyst with HHS's Administration for Children and Families.Rachel was a very talented, brilliant, loving, sensitive woman who touched and enriched the lives of many. One of her many smart decisions was to marry Ben, her beshert. Together, they bravely fought Rachel's cancer journey. She had a heart of gold and treasured her relationships. Her wit, determination and positive spirit will be remembered by all who knew her.The family would like to acknowledge the dedicated and caring treatment Rachel received for Dr. Poornima Pandellapalli of Kaiser Permanente and the staff at the Virginia Hospital Center.Rachel's funeral will be at 1 pm, Friday, March 30 at Temple Emanuel, 10101 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, Maryland; burial will be at 3 pm at Judean Memorial Gardens, 16225 Batchellors Forest Road, Olney, Maryland. Immediately after the burial, the family will received friends in the HaMakom at Temple Emanuel. The family will observe Shiva on Saturday and Sunday at the home of Alan Banov and Sandra Cave. In lieu of flower, contributions may be made to the Foundation for Women's Cancer, 230 W. Monroe, Suite 2528, Chicago, IL 60606. www.wch.org/about/donateFuneral arrangements by Edward Sagel Funeral Direction, Inc. Rockville, Maryland 301-217-9400