Evelyn D. Rabideau

Evelyn D. “Evie” Rabideau, age 93, a resident of North Petersburgh, died suddenly May 26, 2024 at Bennington Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was preceded in death by her husband Richard “Dick” Rabideau, who in 2020 also passed at the age of 93. She was born in Bennington, Vermont to the late George Dick and Edna (Brock) Dick. She married Richard Rabideau on November 4, 1946 in Troy. For thirty years they lived on West Road in Bennington, where Evie welcomed a rat pack of West End kids and their friends with tolerance and calm. Evie had a long and varied employment resume. For several years while her children were in school, she worked at Frost’s Pharmacy assisting the pharmacist. She also worked at Bennington Catholic High School preparing hot meals and putting the food on our trays for lunch. Union Carbide, a major employer in Bennington, had many shifts and Evie worked them all, loving the overtime pay. She retired from Mount Anthony Union High School, where she held the position of assistant librarian, helping students locate resource materials, assisting them in organizing class reports and listening to their concerns. She enjoyed helping others and was generous with her time. Evelyn was a gifted seamstress who had the technical skill to create garments from scratch, and even a broader knowledge of fabrics. She sewed school uniforms for the girls in both Saint Francis de Sales and Bennington Catholic High School. She made many clothes for her children. As a 4-H Leader she taught a generation of girls the basics of sewing, knitting and crocheting. But perhaps her most illustrious creations came off a pair of knitting needles. She knit items with complicated designs that required multiple colored yarns for the finished product, an artist who combined color, shape and patterns into beautiful unique pieces. Early in life Evelyn started bowling, and she was good at it well into her 80s. She and Dick were avid bowlers, enjoying the sport and comradery. She managed the Senior Bowling League in Bennington for twenty years, spending hours making sure the stats were accurate and accessible to all league participants. She joined the Women’s International Bowling Conference and put together two teams who traveled to various states to compete with bowlers from around the globe. Dick joined her on many of these WIBC events and along with other spouses, enjoyed the extended vacation time together. After her retirement Evie joined Dick on the greens, taking up golf, which became their favorite outdoor sport. A booklet entitled “Golf Around” contained a listing of affordable par 3 courses in the Tri-state area. Pay for one round of golf and the second round was free. Each Thursday, friends gathered and formed four teams of two each, playing a different course throughout the season. Evelyn never missed a birthday or anniversary and always had the perfect card, an irreplaceable act of love and care that we treasured and will miss. Evelyn is survived by her three children: a son and daughter-in-law, R. Wayne and Sharon Rabideau of Greensboro, NC, a daughter and son-in-law Linda and Fred Torrisi of Anchorage, AK, and a daughter, Deborah Rabideau of Colchester, VT; six grandchildren: Betty Jo Rabideau Harvey, Jason Rabideau, Jeremy Rabideau, Craig Stevens, Derek Rabideau Campbell and Mihai Torrisi; and eleven great-grandchildren. A funeral mass will be held for both Evie and Dick at Sacred Heart St. Francis de Sales Church in Bennington, VT on June 12 at 11:00 AM. Following the service friends are invited to join the family at the American Legion on Northside Drive in Bennington. Memorial contributions in Evelyn and Richard Rabideau’s memory may be made to the Sacred Heart School through the office of Mahar Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 628 Main Street, Bennington, VT 05201. Guestbook condolences may be made at www.maharandsonfuneralhome.net