Humanity in Action Mourns the Loss of Lou Rabineau

Humanity in Action mourns the passing of Dr. Louis Rabineau, a longtime and much admired member of HIA's Amercian Planning Board.  Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Rabineau is the namesake of the Dr. Louis Rabineau Award recognizing outstanding achievement by HIA Fellows and Senior Fellows.  

Several HIA Senior Fellows have shared their reflections of Dr. Rabineau's life.

"I was greatly saddened to hear the news that the world has lost Lou Rabineau. I always smile when I think of him. In addition to being an incredibly thorough and perceptive applicant interviewer, I think he was the biggest 'softie' ever to have served on the American Planning Board. I mean that in the best, most admiring possible sense; he had the biggest heart you've ever seen, and he always wanted to find the very best in the young people who crossed his path.

Boy, was HIA ever lucky to have him as a friend, advocate and advisor, and boy was I ever lucky to have known him in HIA's 'early days.'

Some solace lies in the notion that though we've lost him in the corporeal sense, he lives on through his family, through the wonderful Rabineau/Karbank awards and in so many other ways.

Much love and thanks to Lou and his family from me personally, and on behalf of all the Senior Fellows."

     - Heather Lord

 
"I'm so sorry to hear of Lou's death. I remember him with such fondness, as one of the founding HIA members. He had a sort of tough and gravelly appearance, but as soon as he spoke it was abundantly clear what a tremendously kind and generous man he was. I remember we used to joke that he was the easiest interviewer, not because he was uncritical but because he saw such potential and goodness in everyone — and on the rare instance when he expressed hesitation or concern about a candidate (always reluctantly and somewhat apologetically), it was truly all over for them. He will certainly be missed especially in the HIA community."

     - Alexandra Perina

 
"I am very sorry to hear of Lou's passing. He was such a wonderful, generous, gentle person, and I feel very privileged to have known and worked with him."

     - Zachary Kaufman

"Lou interviewed me when I applied to HIA and we spoke several times during that process. Lou was an extremely smart, kind man who tested me while at the same time making me feel comfortable. Though our interactions were limited, he made a big impression on me."

     - Zachary Neumann

 
The following obituary was written by Dr. Judith S. Goldstein.

It is with great sadness that we learned of Lou Rabineau’s death in Massachusetts on November 21st. Although Lou and Mona moved to Massachusetts in 2010, they remained ever present to their many friends on Mt. Desert Island. They were distinguished educators, each in their own right, who brought to the Island years of experience in the field of higher education. With friends and associates they shared their abiding commitment to the importance of education and the constant need for rethinking and improving all levels of teaching. Over a long career, they applied their concerns to educational systems in Colorado, New York and Connecticut. Among many distinguished positions, Lou was Chancellor of the Connecticut Commission for Higher Education and President of the College of the Atlantic.

The long list of degrees, professional positions, academic honors and speeches of distinction that Lou gave on educational policies just begins to describe the special qualities that he brought to his work. These gifts, to name but a few, revealed a generosity of spirit, a probing mind, a concern for the achievements of others, especially students and an abiding interest in and deep knowledge of literature, politics, religion, sociology, psychology and philosophy. These were broad interests that he hardly kept to himself. No. How he loved to share them by analyzing, discussing then provoking ever more discussion to challenge his family and friends!

And there were even more qualities that distinguished Lou: he was a man of family and community or, more accurately put, his many communities: COA, Southwest Harbor, the Pot and Kettle Club, the Academy for Educational Development and Humanity in Action. Above all, he was lovingly devoted to his family, ever enriched by Mona and their daughter Elizabeth. Together, they valued the world of ideas and inquiry, anchored by friends, his Jewish education and beliefs and the precious spirit of civility.