Rita Stevens, born Rita Renee Ahrens to Max and Carol Ahrens in Minneapolis MN on September 26, 1949. Rita passed away on Tuesday January 13, 2026 after a long battle with Primary Progressive Aphasia.
She spent most of her childhood years growing up in Rochester, MN. Her father worked in minerology, which led the family to many different towns, eventually bringing them back to MN where she graduated from Eveleth High School in 1967.
She attended the University of Minnesota Duluth, majoring in theatre, where she met Thomas Stevens. They were married and had 4 boys together and lived in Orange County California.
Rita continued her education receiving her Master of Fine Arts in 2001 at the University of California, Fullerton, where she was a Professor of Theater until her retirement in 2018.
Her greatest joys in life were being a mother, teaching, acting, and travel. She was a devote of Sai Baba and made many spiritual pilgrimages to his Ashram in India. On one of her last trips, she directed and produced a play with children, combining art and spirituality, which she considered one of her greatest accomplishments.
Rita was a free spirit and skilled actor spending much of her working life on stage and television. The bulk of her career was teaching others the art of acting. In her leisure time, she enjoyed the outdoors, hiking the valleys, many mountains and the trails of Glendale California. She was an accomplished hiker, and member of the Hike Masters Club of California.
After retirement Rita moved to Minnesota to live near her son in Moose Lake with her 2 cats. Rita was an avid walker, enjoying the local trails near her home, until the end.
Rita is preceded in death by her father, Max and former husband, Thomas Stevens.
She is survived by her mother, Carol Ahrens; sons: Zoey (Jennifer) Stevens of Temecula, California, Max Stevens of Titusville, Florida, Patrick Stevens of Franklin Illinois, and Mike (Terri) Stevens of Sturgeon Lake Minnesota; her grandchildren: Zoey, Sable, Corbin, Madelynn, Zavier, and Owen; and great grandchildren Reed and Ruth.
The family would like to thank the staff at Oak View Assisted Living, St. Croix Hospice and Moose Lake Village for the excellent care that Rita received.
Private family services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Jude's Hospital, The Sierra Club, or NPR in Rita's memory.
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