June Jackson

Through unending love and a generous, giving spirit, June Jackson made an undeniable mark on the hearts and lives of those she touched. In ways all her own, June gave freely of herself and shared her family with countless others. Above all, family was at the center of all she did, and through the many memories of days gone by, June will be fondly remembered when recalling such treasured times.

The era known as the Roaring Twenties created an entirely new landscape within the culture of America. It was indeed a time of great prosperity, but for Irving and Doris Skeman, nothing was as bright in their lives as the birth of their darling baby girl, June Doris, born on June 17, 1922 at Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Young June enjoyed a typical childhood for the times. As an only child, June was just a youngster when she experienced the death of her father, and her young journey in life took an entirely new direction.

Raised by her grandparents, June was especially close to her grandfather and idolized this man whom she came to love and trust. She held close all the wonderful memories of her upbringing, and all the many things she learned throughout these years. She received her early education in the area schools and attended Thomas M. Cooley High School on Detroit's northwest side. June went on to graduate, and like many young woman, had many hopes and dreams for a bright future.

One of June's dreams became reality in the heart of a young man named John Wallace Jackson. Smitten from the moment they met, June and John dated for a time and soon fell deeply in love. They were eventually married, and together spent the following 70 years of their lives together.

After settling in as husband and wife, the young couple soon set out to begin a family of their own. Family was always at the center of June's heart, and she could hardly wait to bestow her loving nature on the children they came to love and cherish. John, Ken, Kathy, Cindy, and Madeline filled their lives with the greatest joy. June lived for her family, and made a good home for John as a devoted wife and as a loving mother to their five children. In everything June did, she did for the benefit of family. She was attentive, caring, and involved in the lives of her children. She took an active role in their schooling and extra activities, and always made sure there was enough time for family activities.

As a family, fun times were enjoyed and will always be remembered such as visiting various areas of Michigan together. Each summer, they always rented a cottage during the month of August, and an enjoyable trip visiting all the historic landmarks in Michigan will always being back special times. They also traveled to Washington, D.C. as a family to explore the nation's capital.

June's love, care, and generosity was not confined to her family. She volunteered her time at a local hospital, and worked for Children's Services in the Detroit metropolitan area. For many years, she and John served as foster parents. June had enough love to go around threefold. She had a heart of gold, and would stop at nothing to help someone in need.

June took many children under her wing over the years and provided a loving, stable living environment for them. Her home was a place of security for many of these little children, where she offered her natural warmth, patient demeanor, and loving arms to each of them. June's entire family took part in taking these children in, and did so with giving hearts. In 1990, June and John were awarded the, "Foster Parents of the Year" award and received a plaque from Michigan's governor acknowledging his gratitude. It was simply in June's nature to give. She was also awarded several times for her generosity to the Disabled American Veterans.

Among June's many activities and care of others, she was always there for her own family. They were by far her most treasured gem, and she led by example with unfailing love, dedication, and support.

June was talented in many respects, but her embroidery skills were exquisite. She made numerous baby blankets throughout the years for nearly everyone she knew. This skill especially came in handy when June began having grandchildren and great-grandchildren of her own. She was also a good cook and made many family favorites. June enjoyed watching the news, and was always sure to read her daily newspaper from cover to cover. She was an avid reader, and was particularly fond of mysteries. During June's youth, her home was one of the very first households to have a television set. When it came to TV programs, June especially liked comedy sitcoms, but it was "Guiding Light" and "As the World Turns" soap operas which really got her attention. In fact, she was an avid viewer of soap operas until they discontinued airing her favorites. She learned how to record many shows, and would watch them several times over.

June Jackson truly had a heat of gold. It was evident through her caring and helpful nature, and the way in which she interacted with others. June was genuine and in everything she did, she did with a loving heart. After 90 years, June Jackson sadly died on Thursday, May 23, 2013.

She is survived by her children: John (Diane) Jackson, Ken (Linda) Jackson, Kathy (Lee) Logan, Cindy (Bret) Smith, and Madeline Wilhite; 16 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held Friday 11AM until time of service at 1PM at the Neely-Turowski Life Story Funeral Home 30200 Five Mile LIvonia. Interment will be at Parkview Cemetery. To share a memory and photo of June and to sign her online guest book, please visit www.TurowskiLifeStory.com.