June was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic/Liver cancer in late December. She dealt with this disease courageously and on her own terms. She was surrounded and cared for during her illness by her loving family and close friends.
June was born on October 23, 1952. She grew up with her 8 siblings and parents Roy and Virginia Nixon in Orchard Park, New York. She attended cosmetology school and worked as a hair stylist. During these years she had many adventures with her lifelong best friend, Ann Denton Capriotto.
At the encouragement of her brother Richard, June left those upstate New York winters behind. She followed her brothers Richard and Ronald to Long Beach, California in 1974. During her Southern California years she made many lasting friendships, including her dear friend Ishmael Huggins. June had many stories about her years in Long Beach as a manager of an apartment complex, working at the Queen Mary Park and her years with the Pitney Bowes Company.
June joined her brother Richard, his wife Jolene and their family in Paradise, California in 1990. She was instrumental in raising their two children, Dawn and Whyatt, imparting her special wisdom and humor to them and their friends. She went to work at the Butte County Credit Bureau and soon had a whole new circle of lifelong friends in Chico. This group, known to themselves as “The SnackCakes” had great fun at girl parties and travelling together around the North state and further afield.
During these years, June attended massage school and developed a great business. This skill helped support her when she decided to go back to school earning a B.S. in Construction Management from CSU Chico at age 50.
In 2004, June moved to Sacramento to pursue her career as a Project Engineer at Landmark Construction where she worked for sixteen year. She made great friends at Landmark and when she left, they hired three people to take over her duties….a great testament to her hard work.
She bought a house and made it into a home friends and family loved to visit. Many evenings were spent on the patio enjoying the delta breeze and watching her many “pet” hummingbirds.
June was preceded in death by her parents and by siblings Raymond, Sharon and Robert. She is survived by her brothers, James (Marie), Ronald, Richard (Jolene) Nixon and by her sisters Bonnie Wittenrich and Barbara Bauer. She has many beloved nieces and nephews, but will be especially missed by the two she helped raise, Dawn Gonnsen with husband Adam and children William and Penny Jo, and Whyatt Nixon with wife Shelby and children Evelyn and Audrey.
Many friends mourn June’s passing, but her family will always be grateful to those who were instrumental in supporting her through this journey: Susan Lee; Terri Petersen; Janet Holiday; Donna Schlieper; Lynn Haskell and Lise Welsh.
June’s final request for those who would like to honor her memory is for a donation to Kaiser Permanente Hospice, North Sacramento, CA. A private Celebration of Life will be held in September.
Mortuary arrangements are under the care and direction of Reichert’s Funeral and Cremation Services; please call (916) 729-2229 for more information.
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