Irene Strauss - Trip Leader

Sponsor Club: Whitehall, Montana
Occupation: School Counselor (Retired)

Irene lives in Whitehall, Montana, and has been married to Rick for 38 years. She has been a member of the Whitehall Rotary Club since 2003 and is past president, current

secretary and co-chair of the 2012 District 5390 District Conference. She has hosted

incoming GSE members from Pakistan, Africa, Brazil and Tasmania.

Irene was born in Grafton, North Dakota and grew up on a farm near Pisek, North

Dakota. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in English, speech and drama

education from Mayville State University and began an English teaching career in

North Dakota. She moved to Medicine Lake, Montana in 1972, where she met Rick

who was a teacher there. They were married in 1974 and in 1976 she temporarily

retired from teaching when their son, Sean, was born. Two years later, Eric was born.

She returned to teaching in Froid, Montana in 1985. She took a year’s sabbatical in

1992-93 and earned her Master of Education in Counseling from MSU-Northern in

Havre, Montana. When Rick retired from teaching in 1996, they moved to Whitehall

where Irene worked as a school counselor until her retirement in 2011.

Their son, Sean, and his wife, Ellen, live in San Francisco, California and are both

attorneys. Eric, and his wife, Renata, live in Helena, Montana. Eric is a manager in

quality control at St. Peter’s Hospital and Renata is a graphic designer. They have two

children, Ada age 3 and Macklin 1 ½.

Rick and Irene enjoy playing golf and gardening in the summer months. During the

fall they are season ticket holders for University of Montana Grizzly football games.

Go Griz!

Irene enjoys walking, hiking, biking, reading, singing and playing piano.