June KEELING (3 Jun 1935 - 7 Apr 2020)

In loving memory of June KEELING who sadly passed away on 7th April 2020. By request family flowers only please but if desired donations can be made on the Just Giving section of this page to "Alzheimers Society" or may be sent to C Terry Funeral Services, 244 Bulwell High Road, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 8NU. Tel: 0115 9770866.

June was born on 3rd June 1935 at 15 Turnstall Grove, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire to George Henry Moxon and Harriete Elizabeth Moxon . They moved to Hucknall when June was 3 in 1938 and lived on Bolsover Street. June went to school at Beardall Street School until leaving at the age of 15 to go and work in Boots Offices as a Merchandise Controller, there she met Betty Worley, Jean Thompson and Elsie Morton who she remained friends with all her life.
June met Kenneth (Ken) Keeling, whilst he was on leave from the army in the late 1950’s, at a dance hall (Hanford and Richards) on a night out with Christine, a friend who lived in the same yard. Christine was meeting her fella, also called Ken, who had brought his friend Ken along. Junes then future Husband literally fell at her feet when he tripped over Christines feet and his fate was sealed. They went out for a meal for their second date where Ken, who always had a healthy appetite, ordered a second dinner as he was still hungry and June, who was completely embarrassed thought I don’t think I want a third date, but she did and they were married after a 9 month engagement on 20th February 1960. They honeymooned for 3 days in London before Ken, who was doing his national service, had to rejoin his regiment.
They bought their first and only house on Farleys Lane in Hucknall in 1960 when Ken left the army and they lived there together for 30 years until Ken died suddenly in 1990 at the age of 52.
June carried on working at Boots until 1962 when she left to have her first son Andrew. At relaxation classes she met some more lifelong friends in Rita Childe, who June know from school, and Margaret Fitch. Jeremy came along in 1964 and Alison in 1967 which completed their happy family.
In 1974 June and Ken bought a caravan on Surprise View caravan park in Bestwood Village and had some very happy years of summer holidays and weekends with the children and Junes mum Harriette. June always insisted the cat went with them and sometimes even the Gerbil. It was here that June met Nancy, who had the caravan next door. They remained good friends, with many holidays, weekends away and shopping trips.
In 1977 June went to work for Vedonis as an examiner mender, she was only going to work there for a year or so for some extra money but ended up working there until the factory closed in 1994, and, of course, June made some more lifelong friends in Linda Bond and Ann Allsebrook as well as many others.
June was an avid member of the Hucknall Leenside WI where she spent time on the Committee, even though when it came time for electing new members her and Rita would suddenly need to pick something up off the floor so no one would notice them. She also organized day trips and weekends away and, of course, made many more friends including Peggy and Cath who were her partners In crime on many a WI holiday, weekend away and day trip along with Rita. They also went on many a jaunt away from the WI, with bus trips being the favourite.
Holidays with June and Ken were never a dull affair especially as many were spent with Kens brother Dennis and his wife Doreen and their 2 children Tina and Bryn and, of course, the cat had to go on many holidays too. Both families had touring caravans and went all over the country. There was always a competition to see who could have the awning up first and who had the best spot on the caravan site. There were holidays to Cornwall with cow pat wanging competitions (but you had a pick a dry one), Devon with June breaking her false teeth on some rock and Doreen laughing so much she didn’t realise she was standing on one half and peed herself. Guernsey in a hotel where the food was so scarce that they all ended up at the chip shop down the road after dinner and a bed that broke on the first night. No holiday would have been complete without one of Uncle Dennis’ famous short cuts on their evening walks, which usually involved ending up in fields with too friendly cows, not so friendly horses and a farm yard or 2 with a crew yard to negotiate and to add insult to injury you would have walked miles further than the original route.
After Ken died June loved her holidays with her grown up children and even flew abroad although she hated flying, but this she said stemmed back to flying to Majorca in a thunder storm during the suez crisis in 1956 while she was at Boots College and from how she described the flight, which she did every time she flew, there’s no wonder she didn’t enjoy the experience. There were holidays to France with all the family for her 70th, Spain and Greece and many places in England in Caravans, tents and holiday cottages but June loved them all whether it was a 5 star hotel or a folding caravan. June also looked forward to her trips to Scotland to see Jane who was her cousin Betty’s daughter, Hugh, her husband and daughter Amie, who she loved very much and who always made her and her family welcome and gave up their beds for them. June had spent many an hour when she was younger at the Farm with Betty and her Husband Dennis and when Jane came along June enjoyed wheeling Jane around in her pram and doing her hair when she came to stay with them. June spent her final holiday in Bridlington with her Grandchildren Laura, Claire and Hannah and her Great Grandchild Freya whom she idolised.
There was nothing that June liked more than being with her extended family, Andrew and his wife Joanne, Jeremy and his then wife Alison and their children Dawn, Laura Michael and Kevin and then his new partner Wendy and Alison and her Husband Chris, who she lived with, with her Grandchildren Claire and Hannah for 29 years after Ken died. June also loved her great grandchildren Joseph and Freya and spent many a happy hour with them singing to them and telling them stories.
June was an avid reader from being young and loved a good Murder Mystery book, she also loved poetry and books by H E Bates, Lillian Beckwith and Derek Tangy, who she met whilst on holiday in Cornwall, but that’s another story! She watched Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple time and again until she knew exactly who’d done it before they did. She also liked to watch any history programs but especially those about Egypt and the pyramids. Time Team and Coast were always a favourite because she said that if she was 20 years younger she would have loved a date with Neil Oliver. June would while away many an hour in her beloved garden and loved her plants, of which there were many and feeding and watching the birds. She baked the most amazing cakes ever and had no problem coming up with any excuse for a get together with family and friends, a cup of tea, numerous pieces of cake and not to mention sandwiches and pastries.
Sadly June was diagnosed with Dementia in 2019 after having symptoms for 2 years and went to live at Buddleia House residential home when her family could no longer look after her and keep her safe but she still enjoyed seeing all her friends when they visited and never forgot who her family and friends were, she still loved going on a Sunday morning for her breakfast at Jeremys house when all the family would get together and see her and she still loved her shopping trips with Andrew, to McCarther Glen and a trip to the garden centre with Alison and her family. She also enjoyed making up rhymes and little ditties about her best friend Ritas frilly knickers and loved nothing more tn reciting them to her when she visited, but she could still remember poetry that she had learned when she was younger and could recite it word for word. The care she received at Buddleia House was amazing and she loved all the people who worked there, even if she didn’t always show it. June died peacefully on 7th April after having a chest infection and is now reunited with a beloved husband and Mum and Dad.
Our Mum, Gran and Great Gran was the most loving, generous, kind hearted and loyal friend anyone could wish to have and will be sadly missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.