Michele B. Pollono

Michele B. Pollono, 78, of Pembroke, passed away on Monday, May 10, 2021 surrounded by her loving family and their sleeping puppies.

Born on September 13, 1942 in Rhode Island, Michele was the daughter of the late Raymond and Cecil (Landry) Rabidoux. In her youth, she was gifted with a playful and rebellious personality that kept her parents and her siblings on their toes. Stories of her youth have achieved mythic status over the years. “The Convenient Rabbit.” “The Firecracker Crayfish.” “The Goliath Bullfrog,” to name only a few.  

In the early 60’s, Michele moved to New York City to work for Eastern Airlines (she would enjoy a career in travel for over 40 years, ending up at AAA until retirement), smoke Virginia Slims, travel the world on travel-agent vouchers and live it up in the Big Apple.  She met her future husband, Queens-born first-generation Italian John Pollono, and, after a rocky first few dates, they were wed in 1967 and moved to Long Island to start a family. In the 80’s, Michele moved them to New Hampshire, quit smoking and continued pursuing her two greatest loves: adventure and family.

Michele had a lust for life and never met a new person or experience she didn’t enjoy. A baby whisperer, prone to giving infants tiny kisses on the back of the neck. An unparalleled conversationalist. Fearless, adventurous traveler. Summertime reader of best-sellers. Passionate supporter of equal rights. Wearer of unusually large eyeglasses. Proponent of triptiks. Chewer of sugarfree gum. Buyer of things on sale. Gifted storyteller, prone to exaggeration. She clicked her tongue when thinking. Lover of gift-giving, of Christmas, of decorations. Her walls were festooned with too many photos of her family, shelves crowded with too many tchotchkes from a well-traveled life. Carrier of lip balm, having “a lotion for that” in her purse. She could water ski on one ski as a teenager, catch a frog bare-handed in her youth. A surprisingly elegant swimmer, she could float on her back as if she was made of balsa wood. Talk her way out of almost anything. Most mornings she would sit at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, staring out at the middle distance as her mind slowly woke up for the day. Her favorite place to visit was Paris and the Caribbean. A scuba diver, a snow skier, a picker of wild blueberries in the woods. Fanny pack wearer.

Michele loved her family like a garden rose loves the rain and the sun. Her smile blooming in their presence. A mother, grandmother, wife, sister and daughter of unparalleled and gentle grace.

She is survived by her husband of 54 years, John Pollono, Sr; her 3 children, Laura Psaledas of Londonderry, John Pollono, Jr. and his wife Jennifer of Los Angeles, and Sara Turgeon and her husband Jason of Pembroke; siblings Raymond Rabidoux of RI, Frederick Rabidoux of San Francisco and Paula Rabidoux of Columbus, OH; grandchildren, Sean and Ben Psaledas, Sophie and Jack Pollono, Andrew and Anastasia Turgeon as well as numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

She leaves a life well-lived and a hole inside everyone who knew her, who loved her, who were lucky enough to share in her sweet, mischievous smile.

To share a memory, or to leave the family a message of condolence, please visit Michele’s tribute page at https://www.petitroan.com

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