Renée Halversen Milne

One of the best women we know passed away peacefully on June 3, 2023, in Draper, Utah, following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Shirley Renée Halversen was born in Cedar City, Utah, on July 27, 1934, to Roy L. and Maude Macfarlane Halversen. She loved her small-town upbringing, enjoyed lots of friends and practiced her piano and violin faithfully, as the child of two musicians. Renée loved accompanying and playing in the high school orchestra, where she also met her future husband, Donald Y. Milne. She was an ultra-talented conductor, singer, pianist, organist, and violinist—later performing with the Murray Utah Symphony orchestra and accompanying multiple choirs and a dance band.

Renée grew up in a home where her mother was a skilled baker and cleaner, and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree! She was an expert roll-maker, prepared amazing meals for her family, and her home was impeccably kept. We still wonder if she ever really ate Thanksgiving dinner, as she always attended to others first. But that was just her way.

Renée was the only girl Donald ever dated—she was his everything…and more. The two were sealed in the St. George Utah Temple on June 8, 1954. After Donald graduated from the University of Utah, they moved to Los Angeles. Shortly thereafter, they headed to England for his Air Force service, then to South Pasadena and El Monte, California, where they lived for nearly 35-years.  Renée graduated from California State University at Los Angeles and was trained as a teacher, putting her skills to good use in the classroom and in her home.

Her time was spent as a caring mother and a wonderful piano teacher, often giving free lessons so more children could learn. She made sure her girls could both play the piano as well as a string instrument. Renée volunteered every election day at the voting booths, took great care of the yard, played early-morning basketball and was an expert seamstress, often staying up all night sewing her girls’ dresses for school and special occasions. In fact, Renée made her oldest daughter’s clothes up until college! 

In 1996, three-years after moving to Utah, Renée and Donald served as full-time missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ireland, loving the many associations made there. Over the years, she also served in Primary, as a Young Women’s and Relief Society president, and was a receptionist in the Jordan River Utah Temple.

If you’ve sung for Renée, you’ll never forget it. She directed LDS ward and stake choirs—both in California and Utah—for decades. Her dozens of spiritual and secular programs were creative, well put together, and performed to perfection. She made a lasting impact on hundreds of lives musically…and personally.

Renée was positive, happy, kind, and never complained. Not one to raise her voice or get upset easily, she was a wonderful, caring mother and an extraordinary “Grammy.” She made holidays special and was so supportive of her family, always showing up at the kids’ games and performances and offering to tend so their parents could have a getaway. She loved a good musical and was a voracious reader—always with a library book in hand. And, best of all, she spent many hours in the scriptures and dedicated her life to serving others.

Renée is survived by her husband, Donald Y. Milne of Sandy, Utah; her two daughters, Michelle (Steven) King and Alicia (John) Tebbs; 8 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, with two more on the way. Her grandson Ashton Tebbs, her parents and two siblings, Marilyn Huntsman and Dr. Chad Halversen, preceded her in death.

Funeral services will be Saturday, June 17^th, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at the Hidden Oaks Ward building, 11755 S. Highland Drive, Sandy, Utah. Just prior to the funeral, a viewing will be held at the church from 9:00-10:15 a.m. Interment: Lakeview Memorial Cemetery in Bountiful, Utah.

Renée Milne’s funeral will be streamed live on the Russon Brothers Mortuary Facebook page and on this obituary page. The livestream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service.

Many thanks from our family to the dedicated, kind workers at Beehive Homes of Draper memory care facility…and especially to Dad, for his years of loving, daily care for our sweet mom.

In lieu of flowers, click here www.suu.edu/gift/memorial/ if you would like to donate in Renée Milne’s name to the Roy L. and Maude Halversen Endowment through the “SUU in Memorium Scholarship.”  The Halversen Endowment provides scholarship awards to string instrument students at Southern Utah University.