My friend, wife, companion and lover and mother of three children died on July 18th about 10 AM.  While it is very sad to lose her and I miss her terribly, she is in a much better place.  She suffered from Alzheimer’s and the last few years were very hard on her as she changed from being June to being a shell of June.  Today is a day to remember June not the shell of June. So, let me talk about the wonderful times we had during the more than 47 years of married life.

June never let situations control her life – she adapted to them, using them to her advantage and always came out the winner.  She was self-taught and never passed on an opportunity to learn and grow. Due to life circumstances she only spent one year at college after graduation from high school.  Always wanting to say she was a college grad she went back to school in her 40’s and with family and work responsibilities, completed her dream earning a college degree.

About 20 years after she had a very bad experience in the water, almost drowning, she overcame her fear of water and attained certification to Scuba dive so she could join her children and me as we dove all over the world.  She was able to enjoy underwater reef life while traveling the world, diving 20 islands in the Caribbean, 4 Central America countries, Hawaii, Venezuela, Tahiti, Fiji, Thailand, Myanmar, Australia and Indonesia.

Travel was high on her bucket list.  In addition, travel to dive she also visited multiple countries in Africa, Europe, the Far East as well as India as an explorer, always with family members.

Junes working world started in a hospital as a Medical Lab Technician.  After more than 10 years she established herself as a leader in the medical field and was hired as a laboratory facility planner with a mid-sized consulting firm.    She was involved in planning and overseeing the construction of labs in hospitals throughout the world. An interesting fact is that over 30 years ago one of her clients was Sarasota Hospital, long before the many upgrade projects we have all observed.

As she completed her working career and had time on her hands she entered the world of volunteering.  She loved the arts so she educated herself on both modern and classic art and while living in Chicago joined the staff of docents at the Art Institute and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), leading tours at the MCA.

June never considered herself an athlete yet at the age of 60 she found the excitement of funning.  Through the help of Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) she found her groove and started racing 5K, 8K, 10K and occasionally a half marathon.  Her success was phenomenal, for a person with asthma, with consistent podium finishes for her age group.

Family and friends benefited from another passion - June loved food and enjoyed preparing, presenting and serving extra ordinary meals.  She was self-taught and constantly scanned for recipes that often were improved to add flavor and interest. Many people here enjoyed the fruit of her labor at dinner parties that often included a printed menu.  As she developed her skills, she dreamt of opening a restaurant or a bed and breakfast and apply her food knowledge and people skills. She ran out of time and this dream was still in her bucket list.

These are only a few of the many examples of June we all knew and loved.   We are all richer for knowing June and enjoying life with her. I miss her but am happy I met her and had many, many wonderful experiences with her.  My life is much richer because June chose to share her life with me.