Carol Rabideau

Carol Jean Rabideau, age 75, passed away peacefully on October 23, 2025, at home in Nunnelly, Tennessee, surrounded by peace and love on a beautiful, sunny fall day. She was born on September 28, 1950, in Chicago, Illinois, to Duane Rabideau and Barbara Lemenager. Carol was raised on a farm in L’Erable, Illinois, where her lifelong love of nature first took root. Carol was the beloved mother of Amelia Rabideau Rousseau (Jackson Leach). In her later years, she and Amelia shared a deeply meaningful time living together in Tennessee, surrounded by the quiet woods and wildlife Carol loved so much. They also treasured many travels together to visit family and friends—often to Illinois, as well as to Arizona, Italy, and many other beautiful places that reflected their closeness and appreciation for the world around them. She married Charles Conte on December 19, 2007, and they shared many happy years until his passing in December 2020. They loved to travel together, taking memorable trips to the Sonoran Desert, Italy, Costa Rica, and many other beautiful places that reflected their shared sense of adventure and curiosity about the world. Carol cherished her circle of friends, many of whom became like family over the years. She delighted in sharing good meals, thoughtful conversation, and genuine companionship. Carol found beauty in every season of life. She especially loved bird watching and identification in her later years and often expressed her reflections through poetry. She loved to cook, bake, and garden, tending both to plants and people with the same gentle care she brought to every part of her life. Professionally, Carol dedicated her life to helping others. She served the community as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with decades of leadership in mental health counseling, medical social work, supervision, and disability advocacy. In 2004, she joined the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, establishing and directing the Family Outreach Center to support individuals with disabilities and their families. Over the years, she contributed to countless programs and initiatives, including the Genetics Clinic, Huntington’s Disease Clinic, Junior League Family Resource Center, Next Steps at Vanderbilt, VKC Summer Camps, the Parenting Stress Intervention Program, and the ASSIST Program supporting young adults with autism. She also taught with the UT School of Social Work and the Vanderbilt Consortium Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program, mentoring a generation of future social workers. Her compassion extended into the community through her involvement with Special Olympics Tennessee’s Strong Minds Program, The Arc Tennessee, the Tennessee Disability MegaConference, People First of Tennessee, and Our Place Nashville. Carol received numerous awards recognizing her dedication to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities, and she retired from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in 2023, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of care, advocacy, and respect for all people. She is survived by her daughter, Amelia Rabideau Rousseau (Jackson Leach); her sister Bonnie Johnson (Frank); brothers Robert Rabideau (Kim) and Dennis Burns; sister-in-law Christine Conte (Joel Viers); and many nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly. She was preceded in death by her parents Duane Rabideau and Barbara Lemenager; stepmother Ione Raboin Burns; husband Charles Conte; mother-in-law Eda Conte; sister Susan Poindexter; brother-in-law Jim Poindexter; and nephew Zachary Rabideau. A natural burial will take place at Larkspur Conservation at Taylor Hollow in Westmoreland, Tennessee, on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 1 p.m. Memorial donations may be made in her honor to Our Place Nashville (ourplacenashville.org/donate) or Larkspur Conservation at Taylor Hollow (larkspurconservation.kindful.com). Her spirit will live on in every act of kindness she inspired. What To Expect At The Natural Burial A natural burial at Larkspur Conservation takes place in a protected nature preserve, where the body is returned to the earth without embalming or concrete vaults. The setting is peaceful and simple, allowing family and friends to honor their loved one while surrounded by the beauty of Larkspur’s forests and natural landscape. Choose comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing and shoes for a gentle walk through the woods. Use the restroom before you arrive; there is no public toilet or running water. Carpool if possible, as parking is limited. Plan to arrive at 12:45pm. Everyone will be welcomed at the trailhead by Larkspur staff. The casket will be in place at the graveside prior to the arrival of family and friends. Guests will hike up the hill into the nature preserve for the burial ceremony (a UTV will be available for those needing mobility assistance). Benches will be available for sitting during the ceremony. If guests would like to contribute flowers, they may bring them to add to the casket and grave. The ceremony will include a reading, music, and a time for guests to share memories or reflections. The casket will be lowered into the grave, and everyone will have an opportunity to place a handful or shovelful of soil into the grave until it is closed and covered with flowers. Please plan for approximately 2.5–3 hours for the ceremony and burial.

Carol Rabideau

September 28, 1950 - October 23, 2025