Joan Rabideau Mendicino, 94, passed away on September 4, 2026, in San Antonio, leaving a legacy of devotion to family, enduring faith, and deep ties to the people and places she loved. She was born to Josephine Eva LaFave and Francis Henry Rabideau on February 11, 1932, on the family farm west of Gagetown, Michigan.
Joan’s formal education began in a one-room schoolhouse. She graduated from Gagetown High School and attended Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan.
While working in Houston, Joan was introduced by friends to Tony Mendicino, a young Air Force cadet from San Antonio whom she would eventually marry. The couple moved to San Antonio and began their family, while Joan maintained strong ties to her family and friends in Michigan. They later lived in Kirksville, Missouri, and Carson City, Michigan, as Tony completed his medical education and training. In each place, Joan formed friendships that endured for decades before she and Tony returned permanently to San Antonio, where they raised their five children.
Joan was thoroughly devoted to her family, creating a home centered on education, togetherness, and shared experience. Each summer, the family of seven traveled by car to the Rabideau family farm in Michigan, where her children formed lasting bonds with their maternal grandparents and extended family. In later years, those long journeys gave way to trips closer to home, including Six Flags, AstroWorld, the Battleship Texas, Monterrey, Mexico, the Alamo, the Spanish Governor’s Palace, the missions, and Aquarena Springs. Through these travels and everyday acts of care, Joan gave her children a strong sense of belonging and a lifelong connection to one another.
Joan Mendicino was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 69 years, Anthony T. Mendicino, Jr.; sisters, Vernice Fontaine and Ruth Rabideau; brothers, Thomas Rabideau, Robert Rabideau, and Richard Rabideau; and daughter, Lenore Anne. She is survived by her children, Anthony T. Mendicino, III (Nancy), Madeleine Matlock, Jeanette Jackson (John Andrew), Marlene Sumner (Keith), and Joan Wanek (Timothy); thirteen grandchildren; and sixteen great-grandchildren.
Visitation and Rosary: The family will receive visitors beginning at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, September 16th, followed by the Rosary at 7:00 PM at Porter Loring Mortuary, 2102 North Loop 1604 East, San Antonio, TX 78232.
Mass and Burial: A Mass will take place at 11:30 AM on Thursday, September 17th, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 4201 De Zavala Rd., San Antonio, TX 78249, followed by burial at Holy Cross Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to the charity of your choice.
