Renee Balter

Renee Balter died peacefully at home on August 26, 2025, surrounded by her family, at the age of 90.

Renee was born in Wilmington, Del., in 1934 to Ethel and Benedict Denby. She lived in Black Rock, Conn., until she was 3 then moved to Fairfield to a four-family house. Years later she would describe her childhood as wonderful, full of friends, skating, and sledding, walking to the movies every weekend, then getting fresh-made ice cream on the walk home. As a young girl, she made frequent trips on the train to Philadelphia to visit her grandmother, whose strength and attitude toward life deeply influenced Renee.

Her Fairfield High School home economics teacher knew the owners of the Menemsha Inn on Martha’s Vineyard, and got Renee a job as a waitress for the summer of 1954, which she described as miraculous and life-changing. She and the other four Menemsha Inn girls spent their free time swimming at Blue Mailbox Beach (now known as Lucy Vincent). Then Renee went on to University of Connecticut, where she met her first husband. They married after graduation, and had two daughters. Renee worked as a real estate agent, and the family spent summers on the Vineyard in a small camp on the water side of Abel’s Hill. During this time, she began to paint, the beginning of a long, successful artistic career.

In 1981, Renee, with a friend, bought a guesthouse in Oak Bluffs called Titticut Follies. In 1983, she married Bruce Balter. They bought and renovated a 1905 home in Norwalk, Conn., then sold it in 1989 to move permanently to Martha’s Vineyard. Together they ran Titticut Follies, still a busy guesthouse today, with a third generation of loyal guests. She and Bruce loved sailing out of Eel Pond in their 14-foot catboat. Renee began to show her paintings at Cousen Rose Gallery.

Renee was also interested in town politics, attending many select board meetings. She and Dennis daRosa started the Oak Bluffs Association, determined to help the town better know and love its business community. For more than 20 years, they worked to build OBA membership. They created Harborfest and the Inn Tour, and resurrected Tivoli Day. Renee’s deep love of the Vineyard, particularly Oak Bluffs, led her chair the O.B. Historical Commission, work to pass the Cottage City Historic District legislation, and work with the Friends of Oak Bluffs. In the mid-’90s, Renee and eight others bought the old firehouse on Duke’s County Ave. from the town and turned it into Firehouse Gallery, a place for artists to gather, work, and hold shows, lectures, and workshops. Years later, after selling the Firehouse to Alison Shaw, the Martha’s Vineyard Center for the Visual Arts, with Renee as president, opened the Galaxy Gallery, now GalaxyArtsMV. 

Renee’s artwork is distinctive and lives in homes on and off the Island. Her paintings, illustrations, monoprints, and notecards are contemporary and primitive, reflecting an Oak Bluffs cottage style. 

Ever busy, ever energetic, Renee took great joy in life, and brought that joy and love to many others, easily spotted as she drove around town in her bright yellow Mini. She was a wonderful cook and hostess, and many of her friends were the beneficiaries of her delicious homemade soup delivered in a time of need. On fall Sundays and winter weeknights, Renee could be found exuberantly rooting for the Patriots and the Celtics. To celebrate her 90th birthday, she invited her large group of friends to the Film Center to watch a special showing of the original “Snow White” on the large screen. She leaves a legacy of friendships too many to count. She was a force of nature who brought beauty, art, and historical recognition to the town and the Island.

Renee is survived by her beloved husband of 42 years, Bruce Balter; her daughters, Denby Olcott and Dana Olcott; and her grandsons, J.J. and Zack Crabtree.

A celebration of her life will be held at the Portuguese-American Club on Oct. 18, from 2 to 4 pm.