Michele Marie Tagliabue

Michele Marie Tagliabue, 52, of Bastrop, TX, a loving daughter, sister, and friend; a talented and dedicated educator; and a compassionate lover of animals, died on January 27, 2014. She was born on April 9, 1961, in Corpus Christi, TX. Michele was preceded in death by her parents, Emil F. Tagliabue, Jr. and M. Charlene Carter Tagliabue and her longtime companion and best friend, Tracy John Ward. Michele’s career was dedicated to passionate advocacy for special education students and their families. She was a Special Education ARD Facilitator for the Smithville ISD, but worked for many years for the Bastrop ISD Special Education Cooperative as an Educational Diagnostician, ESY Coordinator/Supervisor and Transition Specialist. She previously worked for the Brownsville and Corpus Christi ISDs in Texas and for the Dillingham City School District in Alaska. Michele grew up in a warm family, big sister to twins Stephen and Tom. They were very close and attended Texas A&M in College Station together, where Michele earned her Bachelor of Science in Education Curriculum and Instruction. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Special Education Curriculum and Instruction with a Diagnostician Certification from Corpus Christi State University (now Texas A&M-Corpus Christi). From a young age, Michele was the ultimate people person. She could talk to anyone and know their story in minutes, because she was a great listener and a spirited conversationalist. Everyone gravitated to her; something was always going on with Michele…and it was fun! Michele was an experience hunter…out to see the world, adventurous, and forever seeking new things to try. She moved around, loved to travel, enjoyed experimenting with new recipes, and together with Tracy relished the energy and fun of live music venues in the Austin area. Free spirited with a big personality, and very spiritual with an enormous heart, Michele loved animals. She was proud to be one of the leaders in building a dog park in Bastrop, where visitors can see her name on the front entrance to the park. Michele was a happy, vibrant, engaging person who relished life and lived it with humor, joy and compassion. She will be missed by her brothers, Stephen Carter Tagliabue (Allison) and Thomas Wells Tagliabue (Brad Snyder) of Corpus Christi, along with aunts, uncles, cousins and numerous friends. Family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors are invited to share stories about Michele and her impact on their lives on Saturday, February 1, 2014, at 1 p.m. at Bastrop Providence Funeral Home, 2079 Highway 71 East. Memorials may be made to an animal care organization of your choice.