Jillian Elizabeth Racchini

Jillian Racchini, age 61, passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her family on Saturday, January 13th, 2024, after a two-year battle with leukemia.

Jillian (Jill) Elizabeth Burtosky was born in Great Falls, Montana, to Annlyn Kemper and Edward Douglas Burtosky on January 17th, 1962. She grew up in Great Falls, alongside her brothers Douglas and Michael. She enjoyed participating in the marching band and choir. She graduated from Russell High School and continued on to college close to home at Eastern Montana College (now MSU Billings) to complete a degree in Elementary Education.

After college, Jillian joined a travelling Christian mime group 'Epic' headquartered in Minneapolis, where she met Louis at church. When living in St. Paul, Jillian worked as a special education teacher, helping hard of hearing and disabled students through sign language and specialized learning techniques. Jillian married Louis Racchini on August 11th, 1990, in Gem Lake, Minnesota, and enjoyed 33 years of marriage together. Once married, they lived in the Twin Cities area, where they welcomed their first son, Josiah. They then moved to Madison, Wisconsin before settling in their first home in Stoughton, Wisconsin. During their years in the Madison area, they welcomed their youngest son, Nathanael. Jillian treasured being a mother and enjoyed homeschooling her children while they were young. As they got older and joined public school, she continued her love of education as a substitute teacher. In 2006 the family moved to Laramie, Wyoming, where they lived for a few years before settling down in Fort Collins in 2012. Jillian enjoyed living in Fort Collins for the remainder of her life.

Jillian will be remembered for her kindness, her laughter, her joy at being a friend and giving to her community, and for her devotion to her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. She was a friend to many and an active part of her community, leading marriage and MOPS groups in the church. She championed Operation Christmas Child, working with the organization for 15 years and pioneering a drop off center for southeast Wyoming in Laramie. Her efforts were recognized widely, and she was invited to help with the distribution of the Operation Christmas Child gifts in Honduras, a memory she cherished.

Jillian enjoyed many activities throughout her life. An avid cook and gardener, she loved fostering life through her efforts and feeding her loved ones and her body with clean, natural foods and medicines. She enjoyed studying the Bible with her peers, as well as inviting friends over for food and fellowship. She enjoyed crafts and creation, in particular making candles and knitting. She enjoyed walking, hiking, and bike-riding around her neighborhood and beyond. She and Louis explored many National Parks together. She loved the color purple, from the living room furniture to an everyday scarf, and enjoyed having a nice candle going on a calm evening at home with her family. She loved animals and was a doting caretaker for her dog, Leo. She treasured being a wife, a mother, a friend and a caretaker, as well as a servant of the Lord. She is missed greatly by her family, her friends, her church community and all who knew her.

Jillian is preceded in death by her parents, Edward Douglas Burtosky, Annlyn Kemper, and her dear stepfather William (Buddy) Claunch, as well as her brother, Michael (Mike) Burtosky. She is survived by her husband, Louis Racchini, her two sons, Josiah Racchini and his wife Kunling Huang, and Nathanael Racchini and his long-time partner Sarah Ross. She is also survived by her brother, Douglas (Doug) Burtosky and his wife Sheila, as well as many loved cousins, siblings-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

A memorial will be held in remembrance of Jillian on Monday, January 22nd, 2024 at 10 a.m. at Timberline Church in the East Auditorium. We would love all her friends and family to come together as a community as we remember the light and love that Jillian brought to this world. If you feel moved to, we are recognizing Jillian's love for candles and the color purple by inviting you to bring a candle to the service and/or wear a purple item. Jillian will be interred in a private ceremony with her family at Grandview Cemetery later in the day.