From her daughter, Megan's Instagram:

It is with heavy hearts we announce mom has passed. She passed peacefully, 2/19, with my loving husband and her best friend next to her.
She was such a fierce woman. We all know her love of literature. One of her favorite projects turned graduation speech was based on The Things They Carried, so I found it only appropriate to send her off in such a manner.

Michelle Pell carried many passports, filled with stamps from places like Germany, Singapore, Australia, South Korea—to name a few. She carried projects dating back to the early 90s, from students she helped mold and educate. A library of books spanning the many genres that interested her, whether it be murder mysteries, Speed Reading for Dummies, the detailed history of Kansas City, or DIY gardening.

In her pack she had the collars of all the cats she nurtured, including her Bob and Charlie. She carried photo albums spanning decades of memories with loved ones, some preceding her in death, many still here carrying on the mission. Michelle carried framed photos of her mother, sister, friends, her beloved grandchildren and daughters. Awards for her efforts in raising money for the victims of 9-11. Who’s Who Among American Teachers. A signed photo from President Obama. She carried her sorority pin, her degree from William Jewell, her camera which helped her capture the world through her eyes. The keys to her beloved Yellow beetle. Her humor and sarcasm. Her big heart and determination to make everything ok for those she loved.
She carried her worn copy of Slaughterhouse-Five, pages softened from rereading, margins filled with the thoughts of a woman who never stopped questioning the world. She carried her Kurt Vonnegut doll—a small, slightly absurd reminder that brilliance and satire could live side by side. She carried the belief that stories matter. That truth matters. That even in the darkest chapters, we keep turning the page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DU-bUiiDqsC/
It’s so hard to reduce her to items in a pack, because what she truly carried cannot be held in your hands. Rest easy, mom, as now we will carry your legacy. #thethingstheycarried