June Elise Dewsberry

June Elise Dewsberry (née Baur) passed away on Wednesday, December 19 at 9:30pm at the Village Hospice in John Knox Village, surrounded by her loving family. June had been in very good health until suffering an unexpected major hemorrhagic stroke on the morning of Saturday, December 15. June is survived by her adoring husband of 65 plus years, Arthur Fred Dewsberry; her sister, Ruth Willimann, her three children, Bruce (and wife Peggy), Elise (and husband Stephen), and Fred (and wife Sandra), and four granddaughters, Rebecca, Adrienne, Lisa, and Cara.

June was born on August 26, 1930 in St. Louis, Missouri; raised by missionary parents in India; studied pre-med at Elmhurst College; and became a Registered Nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago. She and Art were married in Yokohama, Japan, where Art was stationed as a Second Lieutenant in the Korean War. She started her family in Chicago, and then moved to Detroit, Michigan; Toronto, Ontario; Hastings-on-Hudson, New York; and then Lee’s Summit, Missouri, where she and Art settled in John Knox Village in 1991.

June worked as an RN, mostly in Pediatrics, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, and then after a break to raise her family, she worked at Pontiac General Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. When the family moved to Toronto, Ontario, June became a Charge Nurse at Etobicoke General Hospital, and later worked as a Nurse Educator for the Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities in their LPN Training Program at Toronto General Hospital.

June, who learned the value of service from her missionary parents, was a dedicated volunteer her whole life. While living in John Knox Village, June served on the Resident Council since its inception (variously as President, Vice President, and a member of the Health Services Committee, Nominating Committee, Marketing Committee, Resident Services Committee, and ultimately as almost permanent Secretary until very recently). She was also active in the John Knox Village Auxiliary Council, and while President of that group she worked full time for several years managing the JKV Thrift Shop. She ran the JKV Retired Nurses Club, and organized a St. Luke’s Nursing School Alumni group. She was also involved in the JKV Colloquium program of presentations and discussions on various topics, which often included drafting Art to present slides of their many trips around the world. June and Art took part for several years in the UMKC Medical Students Program, helping to mentor young medical students in the area of geriatric medicine. She was a Patient Advocate at Lee’s Summit Hospital, and, along with Barbara Elder Owen, worked very hard to establish what became the Village Hospice at the JKV Care Center. She then went on to be a volunteer at the Village Hospice for many years.
Music was a big part of June’s life – she was trained as a concert pianist, and spent all of her life singing in various choirs. While at JKV, she spent several years singing with the professional group “Calico Gals”, a nine-voice women’s a cappella group.

June and Art also loved to travel, and over the years they visited many places including England, Wales, Scotland, Paris, Australia, Cozumel, Tahiti, New Zealand, Hawaii, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Alaska, Switzerland, Seoul, Norway, Greece, Italy, Peru, Istanbul, Germany, and, of course, India. After Arthur retired, he worked with the IESC (International Executive Services Corp) to provide his expertise to several companies, and through this program June and Art spent extended periods of time in Romania, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and, of course, India.

June was an athlete and an adventurer who loved high school sports, participated in cause-related marathons and walkathons, jogged, walked, did yoga, hiked the Grand Canyon when she was 73, and zip-lined for her 86th birthday.

Anyone who ever met June knew that she was a force to be reckoned with. She was always loving, kind, and thoughtful – but she had high expectations for all those around her and demanded the best from herself and from everyone she came in contact with. She was a devoted wife and mother, and a tireless friend and advocate to countless people. She will be grievously missed – but she will also most definitely be joyfully remembered.

An informal open house will be held this Sunday, December 23 in the Courtyard Community Center Room B from 11:30 to 1:00pm.  A memorial service will be planned for some time in the new year.

The family requests that memorial donations be made in June’s name to the John Knox Village Foundation.

An informal open house will be held this Sunday, December 23 in the Courtyard Community Center Room B from 11:30 to 1:00pm.  A memorial service will be planned for some time in the new year.