Irene Victoria "Rena" Easton

1952 - 2026

Irene Victoria Easton "Rena" passed away on February 12, 2026, at Parkhaven Memory Care from the effects of Lewy body dementia.

Rena Easton was born in Washington, DC, on April 7, 1952, the youngest of nine children born to Emily Rose Kane and Paul Victor Last (Lascz). At the age of nine months, she and her brother Stephen flew unaccompanied to Grand Island, NE, where they were raised and later adopted by Anne Last Christensen, paternal aunt, and Thomas Ernest Christensen (deceased 1963).

Following graduation from Grand Island High School, Rena attended the University of Nebraska, Lincoln for two years prior to acceptance in the Antioch Program at the Academy of the Washington (D.C.) Ballet. The course of study for young adults included professional training in classical ballet, jazz, choreography, modern, music, English literature, dance history, anatomy, and French language. In 1974, she received her B.A. Dance from Antioch (Ohio).

Rena met and later married Ian Easton, residing in London and then on the Isle of Wight. The couple had two children - James Ian and Kathleen Anne. She assiduously pursued her studies in dance whilst in England (1975-1991), taking classes and workshops at the London School of Contemporary Dance, The Dance Centre, Ricardo Sibela, and Susan Alexander A.R.A.D. She returned to the U.S.A. to study at the Gus Giardano Dance Center in Chicago and at Luigi in NYC. From 1980-1991, she worked as a professional dancer and dance educator on the I.O.W. She taught in many varied venues and worked with children as well as adults. She performed and choreographed in cabaret, the Independent Arts shows at the Medina Theatre, I.O.W. Ryde High School's production of West Side Story, and numerous fashion shows. Her fitness classes brought a dance-oriented approach to exercise. She supervised the Quay Arts Center's Summer Dance Program, which she initiated.

Moving to Bozeman in 1991, Rena was employed as a teacher in Montana State University's dance program 1991-1993, teaching jazz, ballet, and tap. She worked as a teacher at Mt. Ballet School 1992-2002, and worked with adults at the Ridge Athletic Club, teaching Luigi Jazz (2 years). In 2009, she was one of the founder members of IndepenDance Community Dance Project and choreographed and performed in the 2009 and 2010 productions.

She married Bruce Visser in 1999, and worked happily for 21 years, in the housekeeping department of the Bozeman Holiday Inn and at Safeway, enjoying the physical demands of her work and the camaraderie of her friends. She applied to work as a volunteer for six years in the Bozeman Public Library's Ready 2 Read Storytime program in 2015 and truly loved imparting her love of literature, music, and dance to the kids, whom she loved most of all! She especially loved long walks with her dogs on the open range of Montana, with only the land, the wind, the sky, and hawks for companionship.

She is survived by her beloved son, James; granddaughter, Elliot; husband, Bruce; nieces, Bridget, Michelle, Kathy, Krissy, and Emily; nephews, Paul, Peter, and Chris; and sisters, Dianne, Cecile, and Suzanne.

She is predeceased in death by her daughter, Kathleen Anne; parents, Emily and Paul Last, and Anne and Tom Christensen; brothers, Paul and Richard; missing brother, Steve; and sisters, Emily and Carol.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, February 23rd, at First Presbyterian Church, 26 W. Babcock, Bozeman, with burial at the Hills Cemetery following lunch.

Thank you to the staff at Parkhaven and Enhabit Hospice for their kind and compassionate care for the past two years.

In Lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Boys Town, 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010, or boystown.org.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.dahlcares.com.