Rochelle Tague Nielson was born on November 26, 1971, in Livingston, MT, and died peacefully and unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs) on May 17, 2026, in Bozeman, MT. Rochelle was the daughter of Pennie and Gary Tague.
Rochelle graduated from Park High School in 1990, which included a year in Melbourne, Australia, as a foreign exchange student. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Montana with degrees in Art and Psychology, and then lived in Costa Rica for a year studying Spanish and teaching pottery.
She married her first Husband, Dan Dean, after they taught English for a year while living in Sendai, Japan. After Dan died, Rochelle resumed her education and received a Master’s at MSU in Education & Human Development, later teaching in that Department. She had a private counseling practice for years in Bozeman and was trained in many healing techniques, such as Somatic Experience, EMDR, and Reiki. Rochelle married John Nielson in 2004, and they had two wonderful kids together.
During Rochelle's high school years, she was active in cheerleading and many school activities where she loved to sing, act, and perform. In college, she went on to be captain of the U of M cheerleading team. After college, she traded in the pom poms for a sturdy pair of hiking boots and a tent...and set off for the rest of life's many adventures.
Rochelle's journey included searching for greater depth in relationships, spirituality, education, nature, and culture. She had a curious mind and had a deep consideration for the world and the environment. Her travels included Egypt, Thailand, South Africa, Canada, much of Central America, and more. She enjoyed taking culinary courses in her travels over the years and loved to feed anyone and everyone. Her culinary skills started at a young age when making questionable concoctions with friends that sometimes ended up on the ceiling of a perplexed parent. Thankfully, her skills improved!
Rochelle saw the world through an artist's eyes. She loved to paint, throw pottery, do photography, and weld sculptures. She could be found on a rocky shore, stacking stones into a perfect balance or twigs into a complex woven design. She had a great love for and commitment to the environment and spent endless hours in her garden or exploring the mountains on foot. Her love of nature came from a childhood of roaming the Strong Ranch up Deep Creek in Paradise Valley with her Great Grandmother and Grandparents....smelling the wildflowers as she went.
Rochelle deeply loved and helped raise two amazingly creative, smart, funny, talented, and curious children: Joren and Sena. Her children have fond memories of her love of camping, stargazing, hiking, and taking photographs (endlessly), always looking for heart rocks and checking with her kids to see if the rock truly was a heart rock. They remember her love of dance parties, hooping, crystals, board games, family pets, flowy clothes, and the yoga she did with her kids (which always turned into a laugh-fest). They loved her sense of adventure and willingness to try new things, and best of all, her contagious laughter. She would make you laugh until you cried.
Rochelle had a great soulfulness and depth. She was full of love. She put her heart forward in everything she did. It felt amazing to be around her and if you allowed yourself, her heart would inspire you to be a better person. She had an incredible gift of healing and was loved and appreciated by so many. Because of her dedication, the impact of her healing will live on far beyond her years on this planet. Rochelle will be missed, mourned, and remembered for all the special ways she enhanced our lives. May we continue to laugh wholeheartedly, search for our own stars (and heart rocks), be curious, and always lead with our hearts.
Rochelle is survived by her two children, Joren and Sena Nielson; parents, Gary and Pennie Tague; sister, Heather (Tague) Van Hee; and numerous Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.
There will be a Celebration of Life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to GVLT (PO Box 7021, Bozeman, MT 59771), Camp Equinox (PO Box 7014, Bozeman, MT 59771), or Haven (132 Pond Row, Bozeman, MT 59718).
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
