Eulogy for Auntie June

Firstly, I would like to thank all of Junes friends and relatives for coming today to celebrate Junes life and for all the kind messages that we have received.  I would also like to thank Father Steve and the parishioners of St. Edmunds for accommodating the mass today at a later time.

The church of St. Edmunds played a large part in the life of my Aunt, June, and was her church of worship for over 40 years, the place where she was married to her Husband Richard and where she regularly attended mass.

June Elizabeth Steller was born on the 15^th June 1937 in Morden, South West London. – The world she was born into was preparing for the outbreak of the Second World War which was just two years later.  They say that a child is formed by the time they reach their 7^th birthday.  June was 8 years old when the Second World War ended and her formative years had been spent in war time Britain. In those early days she led a life that was governed by war time rationing, night time visits to the air raid shelter, or sometimes, when there was no time to get to the shelter, taking cover under the stairs of their house, huddled with my grandmother and mother playing games and singing to keep their spirits up.    At my grandparent’s house there was a bomb crater near the back of the garden, a constant reminder of the dangers of the war.

Born the youngest daughter of Ernest and Peggy Steller, and sister to my mother Margaret her life was a modest one.   She adored her mother who was a lovely lady, loving and kind to June.   There was an age gap of 3 years between the girls and they rubbed along well, although like most sisters they would have the odd exchange, and June would have to stand up for herself.  She recently she told me that she was able to get her own back on my mother who was known at times, to be a little bossy with the odd strategic pinch, but they mostly got on well, supporting each other throughout the ups and downs of life, cuddling up in the air raid shelter and in later life seeing each other regularly and including each other in the day to day activity of their lives.  It was a sadness for June that my Mother’s illness meant they had limited contact over the past few years as I know she missed her greatly.

June attended the Ursuline Convent in Wimbledon, Her Catholic background and the teachings at the school laid the foundations for her continuing faith which remained so important to her.

She was an able student and in particular English was a subject that she showed talent for.

She enjoyed and was very good at completing crosswords and I have many memories of her happily providing the answer to clues - when the rest of the family were stumped and scratching our heads for the solution.    

Once school was finished she worked in the city and made use of her typing and shorthand which provided her with a long career as a secretary in a number of banks and financial institutions – she was organized and neat and tidy and I am sure a great asset – After working In the city she moved to a final position working for the charity - St.  Dunstan’s, which supported Blind Army Veterans and which she found very rewarding.   She continued to use her shorthand at home and her notes and calendar were often completed in this secret code.  My eldest daughter, Junes Great Niece was fascinated by all the dots and dashes and squiggles and I believe that June did make an attempt to teach her- this was not a task for the fainthearted and something that was never completed!  I think she miscalculated the attention span of a 5-year-old girl.

She met her husband Richard Chill and they married in St. Edmunds in May 1980, living in Beckenham for their married life.  They enjoyed nearly 25 happy years together until Richard passed away in 2003. They both had a love of travel and Richard would plot their excursions and holidays and they visited many interesting places in England, Europe and further afield too. Richard also introduced June to rambling, and they loved to partake in walks around the London and Kent area, meeting interesting people and making new friends whilst learning about the local history and surrounding countryside.

At times June’s rambling was at odds with her physical ability as she suffered with foot and leg pain but nevertheless she struggled on not wanting to give up on Richards’s hobby which they both so enjoyed.

After Richard died, June was supported by her many friends who have told me in the last few weeks how much they valued her friendship and what good company she was.

 She was a good sport always entering into the spirit of things and I remember many fun Christmas’s when my Father would indulge his passion for Acting and produce a pantomime – the chosen title was Cinderella – and all guests were expected to participate - Auntie June was given the role of the Fairy God Mother and threw herself into the part every year with great gusto. She had a good sense of humor and time spent with Auntie June was always fun, including listening to her music selection, she was a big Elvis Presley fan and greatly enjoyed the fabulous music of the 1950’s and 60’s.

She was well informed about current affairs and she was an enthusiastic participant in political exchanges, more often than not supporting the under dog.  With a wide range of friends, many living overseas, she had a good understanding of different cultures and traditions, she would listen to the radio to gather news she was always interested in other people’s lives and caring and supportive and thoughtful.

Her wartime experiences made an impression on June and converted her into a diligent recycler, ahead of the current trend. Recycling for June was a way of life, she would never waste anything and find multiple uses for paper, bags and cardboard and only replace items when they no longer worked - not because they were outdated.  

She was also always fiercely independent, but living at home had become more challenging over the past couple of years, as her mobility decreased and she found taking public transport too difficult. During this time, she has been looked after by a close band of friends who in turns would take her to the shops, hairdresser and help her with tasks that she could not manage herself. These special friends made it possible for her to remain at home and she was incredibly grateful to them for helping her and I know that they will miss her greatly.

Last year June turned 80 and I am glad that she managed to make it up to London for lunch with my mother’s friend Sheila and myself.  It was a lovely celebration and the restaurant was filled full of pink flowers – a chorus of colour – she loved bright colour and always wore a brightly colored top or pink lipstick. – I like to think that her love of colour and love of flowers were linked to the month she was born in when the flowers are so abundant and color so vibrant.

Over the last few weeks many people have mentioned different types of flowers when they have commented on June, Her friend Patricia tells me her favorites were Snowdrops which strangely come out in the month of January, she loved Tulips which I would give her on my weekly visits as well as the Daisies.  Another friend commented on some Cyclamen plants that June had given her for Christmas a few years ago that are still going strong.

 I know that my life has been made more colorful for knowing my lovely Auntie June, and I know that her friends and family will all miss her warmth and smile – Rest in Peace Auntie June.