June Decker Watson, 93, died Nov. 7 surrounded by neighbors in her Chapel Hill, N.C., home of over 57 years.
A native of Kingston, N.Y., June was a graduate of the City of Kingston Hospital, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Columbia University. After practicing nursing at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, she spent five years in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in the Pacific during World War II. She was a public health nurse in Baltimore County, Md., before moving to Chapel Hill to begin work at the N.C. Memorial Hospital during its first year, where she served for 26 years, becoming supervising nurse in the Outpatient Department until retirement in 1979.
One day in the spring of 1953, as the dogwood trees were blooming, she visited a patient in Dogwood Acres, where she found a house for sale. She bought it and made a remarkable life, with neighbors as her lifeblood to the end, encouraging her to remain in her home as peers moved into retirement communities. Having known Norman Vincent Peale as a young woman, she trusted in the power of positive thinking, believing that when she needed it, care would be provided. Her faith proved true and neighbors cared for her during her last three homebound years and into her final days, lifting her spirit with love until her last breath.
A memorial gathering for all who were touched by her indomitable spirit will be held in her home on Nov. 13 at 3 p.m.Â