June A. Robinette

June A. Robinette, 97, died March 7, 2015.

She was born in Terebonne, Oregon, on June 30, 1917, to Elsie H. nee Geske and Charles McWilliams. The family moved to Bellingham, Washington, where June graduated from Harmony High School. She worked in the Bellingham fish cannery.

She married Grady Robinette Aug. 21, 1937. They moved to Kodiak in January 1940 and traveled over much of the state. Their daughter Mary was born in Juneau, Jacqueline on Kodiak Island, and their son Michael was born in Nome.

June and Grady homesteaded in Wasilla from 1952-1957 at the end of Gail Drive to Robinette Street and June Bug Avenue. They moved to Anchorage where Grady died in March 1964. June then worked for the Division of Motor Vehicles in Anchorage for 14 years. She survived the 1964 earthquake.

June was initiated into the Pioneers of Alaska. She was the first president of the AARP Chapter 537 in Anchorage from 1970-71. She was a member of the Anchorage Mayor’s Committee on Aging; Prospector’s Club and Toast Mistress where she held all of the offices of the chapter over the years.

June moved back to Wasilla in 1979 and helped organize the AARP Chapter 537 in Wasilla and was elected president for one year. In 1979 she presided over the site committee meetings of the beginning of Wasilla Area Seniors Inc. and was secretary of the WASI board of directors from 1982-1998. She published her autobiography, “My Life in Alaska So Far” in 2006.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Fae Kuenoel, Fae’s husband, Marvin, and their son, Gary; Loel Knudson, Necia’s husband, and Michael’s wife, Jeanne.

Surviving are her children, S. Mary, Jacqueline and her husband, John; son, Michael; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren; her sister, Necia and her children, Tana, Tery, Del and Kay; and June’s niece, Nancy and her husband, Mark Proulx.

“In each generation Wisdom passes into holy souls, she makes them friends of God…” Ws 7:27

A memorial service is from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., March 21 at Wasilla Senior Center. All are welcome.