June Louise Smith's Obituary
June Louise Smith (nee Bedford) died Saturday, July 13, 2024 at the Hope Hospice in Cape Coral, Florida following a short illness. She was 99 years old. June leaves two sons, Donald Monroe Smith Jr, Bradley Hugh Smith, daughter Deborah Ann Tabor, brother James William Bedford, sister-in-law Ingrid Bedford, daughter-in-law Carol Hammel Smith, daughter-in-law Sylvia Smith, granddaughter Lindsey Tabor, grandson Brian E. Smith, and many nieces, nephews and close friends. She was born January 25, 1925 in Williamsport, PA, the daughter of H. C. (Clifford) Bedford and Annabelle K. Bedford.
June graduated from Williamsport high school in 1944, and despite being denied the opportunity to attend college because she was a female, she began a brief but successful working career as a telephone operator at Bell Telephone of Pennsylvania. Within months she was promoted to supervisor of the operators in the Williamsport office. There, at a Christmas party in 1945, she met and fell in love with her soon to be husband Don.
On June 28, 1946 she married Donald Monroe Smith (Don) in Williamsport and the happy couple soon moved to Bloomsburg, PA following Don’s career path with Bell Telephone. Due to the postwar housing shortage, they lived in a small boarding house while Don built a house with June’s design assistance.
When Don was promoted to management she moved with him to different Pennsylvania coal towns including Fountain Springs (Ashland), Lehighton and Scranton over 12 years. In 1947 June began her second career as a housewife with the birth of her first son, Donald Smith, Jr. (Don). In two year increments thereafter, son Bradley and daughter Deborah appeared. June’s challenge was raising three children in very poor small towns, with very difficult school environments while Don was required to travel much of the time. She succeeded admirably with one child in law school, a second with multiple Masters degrees, and the eldest earning a Phd.in physics.
After cycling through several coal towns, June moved with the family to relatively affluent Camp Hill, PA for two years. But soon the family had to move again, to Scranton, PA. Then, after two years, back to Camp Hill where June resumed her working career at Capital Blue Cross. During the next six years, June was active in the Camp Hill Alliance Church in the Alliance Women’s group, as a Sunday school teacher, and occasionally playing piano for the church services.
With the children in college, Don and June moved again to Berwyn, PA, near Philadelphia. Then, she joined Don in his final career move during 1977-1979 when he joined American Bell International and was assigned to Tehran, Iran. Don installed modern telephone systems throughout the country while June actively courted and entertained their Iranian neighbors and friends. Unfortunately, they hurriedly escaped from Iran on February 11, 1979, shortly after the Iranian Revolution and takeover by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Bitten by the travel bug after her Iranian adventure, June planned and enjoyed an around the world tour with Don through 13 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. Later she planned a trip to the then Communist Soviet Union visiting Russia, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
After their travels, June and Don settled in Tunkhannock, PA and Fort Myers, FL. In 1995, Don and June made their home in Shell Point Village near Fort Myers. She enjoyed 28 active and joyful years in the community and Shell Point Village Church. June and Don enjoyed the outdoors and especially hiking in the mountains during summer-long trips to visit their daughter, Deborah and granddaughter Lindsey in North Carolina.
At June’s request no public memorial was held. A private burial was held with family attending.
To share a story, leave a tribute, or to offer condolences to the family at this difficult time please visit June’s memorial webpage at www.fortmyersmemorial.com and sign her guestbook.
If you would like to make a donation in June’s memory please send it to the Shell Point Village Church Benevolent Fund or make it online at:
Village Church Benevolent Fund
villagechurchshellpoint.org
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