Dr. Theresa Maloney Rideout, 92, passed away peacefully at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center on June 4, 2017, surrounded by her family. Tess was born January 28, 1925, in Eaton NY. She was the second daughter of Gena Bagley Maloney and Edward F. Maloney. She married her first love, Dr. E. William Rideout, Jr., on June 25, 1945 in Elmira NY. They moved to Batavia NY in 1947, when her husband started his medical residency in Internal Medicine at the Batavia VA Hospital. She and Bill lived in Batavia and Alexander N.Y. for the next 23 years where their family grew to 7 children. In 1970, they moved to Cheyenne, where they have happily resided for the last 47 years.
Tess is a 1941 graduate of Whitesboro High School (Whitesboro NY), and a 1945 graduate of Elmira College (Elmira NY) with a BS degree in Sociology. She began her Masters program at the State University of New York at Geneseo and in 1972 received her Masters in Education at the University of Wyoming. She continued her graduate studies at the University of Wyoming and in 1980 received a Doctor of Education. In her various careers she worked as a social worker, an elementary school teacher and counselor. In Cheyenne she taught at Hebard and Goins elementary schools for several years. After receiving her D. Ed., she was a guidance counselor at McCormick Junior High School, and provided some counseling at other schools in the city. She related well to children and adolescents, and they related well to her!
Tess spent her childhood on her family's farm and developed a lifelong attachment to animals, particularly horses and cows. Shortly after moving to Cheyenne she got her first horse, rekindling her childhood love which lasted her entire life. She started riding in Frontier Days parades in the 1970s. She was a founding member of the Foxy Trotters, and was a member of the Ghost Riders and Golden Spikes riding clubs. Besides riding in Frontier Day Parades and parades in Southeastern Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Northern Colorado, she rode in the 1990 Rose Parade in Pasadena CA to celebrate Wyoming’s Centennial. Tess learned to play bridge in college and remained an avid bridge player her whole life, belonging to several bridge clubs. Her Catholic faith was a very important part of her life. She was active in her parish, Holy Trinity, and belonged to the Secular Order of St. Francis. There was one constant among all of her various interests and activities -- as much as she enjoyed the activity, she cherished the people whom she did it with the most.
In recognition of her achievements in both her work and personal life, Tess was awarded the "1991 Ester Hobart Morris Award" by the Wyoming Commission for Women, for her contribution to the "Equality of Wyoming Women."
Tess is preceded in death by her father, Edward Farrell Maloney, her mother, Gena Bagley Maloney Storrs, her sister, Dr. Elizabeth A. Maloney and her daughter, Mary Ellen Rideout.
She is survived by her loving husband of 71 years, Dr. E. William Rideout, Jr.; their six children: E. William Rideout, III, (Anne) of Salt Lake City, Nancy R. Bloeser (John) of Syracuse NY, Barbara R. Sullivan (Donald) of Cheyenne, Richard Rideout (Kathleen) of Cheyenne, Dr. Martha J. Rideout of Corvallis OR, and Jeanne R. Wozny (Patrick) of Cheyenne; their grand children: E. William Rideout IV, Salt Lake City, Michael Rideout (Michelle), Las Vegas, Amy Fix (Tim Dubnau), Brooklyn NY, Sarah J. Sullivan, Takoma Park MD, Richard L. Sullivan (Amanda), Buffalo NY, Elizabeth Rideout, San Francisco, Erin Rideout, Pittsburgh PA, and Jacob, Theresa and Claire Wozny, all of Cheyenne; their step-grandchildren: John Brooks (Colleen), Brooklyn NY, and Katharine Bloeser (Tyrone Millard), Peekskill NY; and their great-grandchildren: Alexa, Patrick and Parker Rideout and Caitlynn Pope all of Salt Lake City, Roxanna and Zachary Dubnau and Saoirse and Graham Brooks, all of Brooklyn, and Aisling and Arabella Sullivan of Buffalo.
A Funeral Mass will be held Monday, June 12, 2017 at 2:00 PM at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1808 Hot Springs Ave, Cheyenne. A reception will follow in the church hall. Burial will be at a later date.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials to Cheyenne Therapeutic Equestrian Center, or a not-for-profit horse rescue organization of your choice.
The Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel of Cheyenne is in charge of arrangements. Messages of condolence may be offered at
www.wrcfuneral.com