Obituary of June A. Runyon

CUYAHOGA FALLS - June A. Runyon, born on June 20, 1929 to Ted and Mabel Hooper of Stow, Ohio passed away peacefully and surrounded by her family at age 87 on August 16, 2016 during a beautiful sunrise. In the weeks before her death, June described a happy childhood. She spoke about a love of reading mysteries with her brother George on blankets spread under shade trees near a stream on her family’s property. She talked about spending time in her grandfather’s hardware store, and when her mother ran a bakery out of her home, June and her brother would accompany their mother on her deliveries. She fondly recollected car trips in the family Packard to places like Dover Dam and New Philadelphia, and loved staying in the roadside cabin motels of the time. June was a popular teenager and had a fondness for the boys that she admitted sometimes led her to being less “applied” in her studies than her parents would have liked. She proudly played the glockenspiel in the Stow High School band, and enjoyed going to the movies on Saturdays. Robert Mitchum was her favorite actor. June readily identified the two greatest achievements of her life: her career as a registered nurse, and her success in marriage and raising a family. After graduating from high school, June was accepted into the Idabelle Firestone School of Nursing at Akron City Hospital. She took particular pride in her role as an intensive care nurse, noting that she always learned something new every day and that on her unit, lives truly depended on the care they received. She loved the challenge of the work and built lifelong friendships with her peers. June was a proud member of the Alumni Association of The Akron City Hospital School of Nursing. June found love with a young man from Stow named Richard Runyon, a bright chemistry student who later served as the Director of Pharmacy at Barberton Citizens Hospital. They were married on December 28, 1951. Following Richard’s stateside military service during the Korean conflict, the couple settled into a tidy little Cape Cod house on Broad Boulevard in Cuyahoga Falls. Their love was such that between 1957 and 1964, they filled that little house with the sound of children, five to be exact: Marc, Cynthia, Bruce, Neil, and Jill. Even with her nursing career, dinner for seven was on the table every night by 6:30, and she kept her home running like a swiss watch — lunches were packed, laundry was done, the household finances managed, holidays and birthdays hosted, and everyone was loved and cared for. The nursing career June so cherished came to an unfortunate close when she permanently injured her back in the late 1970s, and 1980 saw the untimely death of her husband from heart disease. Throughout, she kept her faith and was a lifelong member of the First Christian Church of Stow. Over the years, she served her church in multiple roles including Deaconess, Elder, Chair of the Board of Elders, and Chair of the Governing Board. June also served as Bethel Guardian for Job’s Daughters Bethel 76 in Cuyahoga Falls where her daughters were both members. In her later years, June became a prominent resident of the Cardinal Village Retirement Community where she served on the Tenants Committee. A shrewd bingo player, June was also a founding member of the Wednesday Night Card Group, and had a special place in her heart for her friends at the puzzle table. June took special pleasure in Cardinal Village outings to Hartville and Miss Molly’s. She also maintained her relationships outside Cardinal Village, including her Retired Nurses Group, The Stow Girls – a group of friends from her Stow High School days – and the local chapter of the Red Hat Society. June adored being part of these groups, and was true to her friendships for life. Most of all, June remained full of love for and deeply engaged in the life of her family to her final days. No matter her own struggles, her heart was always open to the lives of her children and her grandchildren. June was preceded in death by her parents Ted and Mabel, her husband Richard, and most recently her brother George. June is survived by her children Marc Runyon of Warren, Ohio; Cynthia Stevens (Robert Stevens) of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Bruce Runyon (Dawn Runyon) of Powell, Ohio; Neil Runyon (Celeste Torello) of New York City; Jill Adamescu (Patrick Adamescu) of Mansfield, Ohio; and her seven grandchildren: Eric Runyon (Ashley Runyon) of St. Louis, Missouri; Heather Clark (Zachary Clark) of Muscatine, Iowa; Kayla Adamescu of Akron; Joshua Adamescu of Akron; Alex Runyon of Powell, Ohio; Andrew Runyon of Powell, Ohio; and Mabel Runyon of New York City. She also leaves behind five wonderful nieces and their families. The family will receive friends from 10 AM to noon this Saturday, Aug. 20, in the Gathering Hall of the First Christian Church of Stow, 3493 Darrow Rd., Stow OH 44224. The funeral service will follow immediately at noon in the sanctuary of the church. June’s son, Rev. Marc J. Runyon, along with Rev. Jonathan Rumburg and Rev. Terry Bartlett will officiate. Burial will take place at Oakwood Cemetery in Cuyahoga Falls. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in June Runyon's name to the First Christian Church of Stow.