Constance Tara Rahkola

Tara passed away peacefully and accompanied by family on Sunday March 8, 2026. She died the exact way she had lived her life - entirely on her own terms. After multiple battles with cancer on and off for the past 20 years, she ultimately decided that "enough is enough", and elected to pursue comfort in hospice services rather than to continue with treatments. Although it was much too soon for the friends and family that she leaves behind, she had lived her life to the fullest extent and never looked back.

Constance Tara Rahkola was born on February 28, 1949 in Leominster, MA to the late Torsti Rahkola and Mildred Brown Morin. She was named after Saint Contantace, a healer, by her mother in the Catholic tradition of having your child's first name be in honor of a saint. Being the rebel that she was, she requested to only be referred to as Tara. Even as a child, she would not negotiate with anyone on her true self.

While growing up in Massachusetts, Tara attended Julie Country Day School, and Classical High School. She went on to study at UMASS and spend her summers working on Cape Cod, and during a winter in Stowe. She eventually relocated to Florida where, away from family pressures, she began to experience life on her own terms. There she graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in theater and dance. Her career path however focused on healing others through massage and yoga. After moving back to New England in the early 1990's, she continued her passion for helping others through her work at Kripalu in Lenox,MA. She most recently taught yoga at Berkshire South in Great Barrington, MA.

As a true Pisces, she was ruled by a creative spirit that demanded an artistic outlet. She practiced mindful meditations, led several art classes, and participated in countless writing groups. For the last 20 years she was a member of the Write Like a River group, which she also co-hosted. Tara was recently named a managing editor of Sub Rosa, a journal of literature and art, and her work will be featured in the April issue.

Tara was always someone who would not sit still. When she was not pursuing one of her personal creative endeavors, she would take on multiple part time jobs to fulfill her bohemian spirit. She worked as an usher for Jacob's Pillow which would satisfy her accomplished eye for dance. But one of her favorite jobs was being an usher for Tanglewood. She loved being surrounded by the music of the orchestra while walking along their beautiful grounds. She was recharged by being outside in the sun and amongst nature. She had a tremendous skill for identifying flowers and birds. Probably her most favorite activity though was swimming. The water was always calling to Tara. Almost every single day of her life, outside of the cold winter months, she would swim in any natural body of water that would have her.

Everyone who knew Tara knew that she lived her life as her authentic self-without any fret or apology. It could be jarring (and fair to say "off-putting") to some, seeing a woman so fully possessed of themselves, but to those who loved her, it was truly inspiring. We would not have wanted her any other way.

"Because I could not stop for Death-
He kindly stopped for me-
The Carriage held but just Ourselves-
And Immortality." ~Emily Dickinson

For those who would like to honor Tara, there will be a celebration of life for her sometime this spring. Details have yet to be finalized but for those who are interested please send an e-mail to [email protected] and you will be kept in the loop when it is scheduled.