Mrs. Jeanette Rideau

Jeanette Rideau was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas and attended Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School up until the seventh grade. She then attended Odom Junior High and is a 1979 graduate of South Park High School where she was a product of the VOE (Vocation Office Education Program). After graduation, she married her high school sweetheart, Alfred “Bo” Rideau and they had 4 four children, 3 boys and one girl who were all outstanding athletes. Coach and Jeanette were married for 43 years until his passing. 

As a student in the VOE program she went to school for half a day and worked at Gulf States Utilities (now known as Entergy) in the microfilm department. After graduation she got hired as a full-time employee of the utility company in the microfilm department as a graphic technician. After 14 years in the microfilm department, she took a lateral move as a graphic technician into the printing department where she worked for another 4 years, then finished her career with 18 years of service. 

With the request of their children, Coach volunteered to coach children in basketball, teaching “Discipline, Condition, and Teamwork,” which kick started Jeanette’s volunteer services for 25 plus years.

Jeanette went on to become the Owner/Operator of Reliable Copy Service located in the Pear Orchard community. She is also the owner of Lifeline Healthy Eats where she’s the first Certified Plant-based Culinary Chef.  Her foods are organic, gluten, soy, and dairy-free, world cuisine with a creole/southern twist. Jeanette’s vision is to aid in the health and wellness of her community.

Jeanette’s community service includes/included, currently spear head of the Pear Orchard Neighborhood Association, serving on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, former President of the Eucharistic Ministers and Secretary of the Pastoral Council at Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church, and Secretary/Treasurer of the Pear Orchard Federal Credit Union. Jeanette and Coach formed the Ozen High School PTA where she was the Secretary, Board member at Eagle Charter School, volunteer, and organizer for the Our Mother of Mercy basketball program under the leadership of Coach Rideau. She was the operator of the concession stand during tournaments to raise funds to purchase basketballs and provide shoes and uniforms for the program participants. Currently, she is the Founder and President of Coach Rideau What About the Children 501c3 Non-profit Organization, raising funds to purchase property in the Pear Orchard to build a Life Skill training center for the community. The purpose is to keep our children engaged in positive activities such as theatre arts/drama, culinary experiences, technology, math, and English tutorials, “straight talk” from professionals, organized sports, social skills, and good work ethics. Her mission is to mold and empower healthy minds, bodies, and spirits of the children in our community through hard work, empowering and nurturing the children and provide basic coping and living skills.

Goal: “Keeping them on the courts to keep them out of the courts.”