Rachel Ambler

Rachel Mary Christine Ambler, age 54, of Odessa, Texas, passed on August 10, 2022. She was born December 23, 1967, in Castro Valley, California to Peter William Arthur Ambler and Christine Mary (Shaw) Ambler. Rachel graduated from Trinity Valley High School in Fort Worth, Texas, and she graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of Texas at Permian Basin in Odessa, Texas, with a Bachelor of Arts in History. Rachel graduated Cum Laude from Saint Mary’s Law School in San Antonio, Texas, where she earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence.

While in law school, Rachel was on the St. Mary’s Law Journal. She was a member of The John M. Harlan Society and Phi Delta Phi. Rachel received a scholarship from the Franklin Lindsay Student Aid Fund for law school. Rachel served internships in both the civil and criminal divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  She was a summer clerk for the Honorable Robert Junell, United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. While in law school, she clerked for a prestigious civil and bankruptcy litigation firm in San Antonio. Rachel has authored several magazine articles, legal book reviews, and law journal articles.  She co-authored a comprehensive legal textbook on Texas Community Property and Marital Law, which is now in its second edition.  Her textbook is being used at St. Mary's University School of Law and Texas A&M University School of Law. Rachel was on the Board of Directors of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.  She also served on the Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Listserv Committee. Rachel was licensed to practice law in Texas and New Mexico.  She was admitted to practice before the Federal Courts of New Mexico, the Western District of Texas, and the Northern District of Texas. She was a member of the Texas Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Midland County Bar Association, the Ector County Bar Association, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, and the Permian Basin Trial Lawyers Association.  She was a Member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. Rachel was an active member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and gave several presentations at numerous legal conferences. She was honored by the Texas Trial Lawyers Association as the winner of the 2018 John Howie Spirit of Mentorship Award. She was a 2022 and 2021 Texas Super Lawyer and a 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star. Rachel was selected to join Americas Best Trial Lawyers Law firms in 2022 and 10 Best Attorneys for Texas by American the Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys in 2022.

Rachel was a vivacious woman with a fierce passion for the law, gracing the courts with her unwavering determination to ensure her clients received justice. Rachel’s passions extended far beyond the law, as her love for the arts led her to join the Odessa Council for the Arts & Humanities and she was an avid art collector, especially when it came to artists such as Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, and Andy Warhol. Throughout her life, Rachel championed a number of causes including animal rights, racial equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s rights, including the freedom of choice. Rachel also had a deep love for her husband Frank Hunold, who was by her side for 23 years. Rachel was a rock both for her parents and her nieces and nephew. Rachel was truly a wonderful woman who touched the lives of all of whom she loved deeply. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Love-a-Bull, 2900 W. Anderson Lane, C-200 #304, Austin, TX 78757.

Rachel is survived by her husband, Frank Hunold; father, Peter Ambler; mother, Christine Ambler; nieces and nephew, Emmanuelle Harrison, Julia Harrison, Abigail Harrison, and Simon Peter Harrison.

A celebration of life will be held at 10:00am on Thursday, August 18, 2022, at Sunset Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home, 6801 E, I-20BL, Odessa, TX 79762

“Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don’t do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.”

— Ruth Bader Ginsburg