2/19/2019 – June L. Chrisman, Adams Center

June Lea Chrisman of Adams Center, NY (formerly of Watertown, NY) passed away on 02/18/2019 at the age of 74.  She had been longsuffering from the terminal lung disease Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and was under the care of her family and Hospice.

She was born in West Carthage, NY on June 28, 1944 to Alice Vera Adner Phillips – (D. 11/18/1993) of Croghan, NY and Asa Victor Phillips – (D. 11/7/1977) of Natural Bridge, NY.

June grew up in Natural Bridge, NY and attended school there through 8^th grade. She graduated from Carthage High School in 1961.

After 21 years of marriage (08/13/89), June’s husband, Leon Douglas Chrisman predeceased her in death on 04/07/2010.

June worked many part and full time jobs while raising her 3 daughters on her own and in 2007 retired from Car-Freshner Corporation in Watertown, NY after 25 years. Always an active person, she didn’t stay retired for long and obtained a part-time job at Fuccillo Imports as a porter delivering documents, mail, and banking.  When her husband “Doug” became ill she took a leave of absence to care for him and fully retired in 2014.

Long before she could glean genealogy information from the internet, June traveled around the northeast searching out family history in county clerk’s offices, cemeteries and libraries, even discovering a long forgotten and overgrown cemetery a few miles from her home where her Great Great Great Great Grandfather was buried.  Her interest in history and genealogy lead to many volunteer hours at Flower Memorial Library in the genealogy department, where she fully documented 200 funeral home logs from the former Northan Fox Funeral Home, which were donated by Doug Berry of the Square Lion. She loved traveling and visited foreign countries with her family including Italy, Germany, Scotland and the Caribbean Islands, and many places throughout the U.S.  She and her husband traveled the East Coast on their motorcycle as members of the Retreads for several years as well. June was an avid reader of non-fiction, especially true crime and biographies and was interested in celebrity lifestyles and was generally a people watcher. From childhood she always had a cat or dog and loved animals, frequently donating supplies like animal food and used towels to the SPCA.  June was a generous person, giving to her family above and beyond, and often doing acts of kindness for others anonymously.  Those who were close to June and those who worked with her knew her kindness, generosity, and sassy sense of humor. She was a loving mother and grandmother who wanted nothing more than to see her children happy.

June was a deeply spiritual person and a long time member of the IDMR, as well as the President of the Watertown branch.  The teachings of the founder, Dr. H.C. Kinley, had a major impact on how she lived her life.

Surviving June in order of birth are her daughters, Shirley Jane and Donald Maycock, Jamie Lorraine and Russell Pope, and Nickole Lea and Jeffery Shambo. Also in order of birth are grandchildren, Jory Douglas Chrisman and fiance Karen Agnes Moch, Kenneth George (grandson) Aubin 3^rd and Melissa, Jenna Nickole (grand-daughter) and Randall Vitullo, Phillip Deforrest Aubin and Lucas Drew Aubin along with great grandchildren Aurora Rose Vitullo, Lily Skye Aubin, Willow Eileen Aubin and Opal Ivory Vitullo.

Two siblings predeceased June in death, Shirley Alice Phillips – (D. 06/15/1941) and Albert George Phillips – (D. 06/13/1946).

A Celebration of Life will be held privately for immediate family and close friends.  June was and is loved dearly by those close to her and will be forever missed.

The family is greatly appreciative and thankful to the staff at Hospice of Jefferson County for their support and compassion shown to June and her family during this difficult time and ask any donations in June’s memory be made to them to help others.