June Ellen Graton Meitz, 82, died at home in Phoenix, Arizona on July 30, 2018. The eldest child of Milton Stanley Graton (“The Last of the Covered Bridge Builders”) and Doris Isabel Howe, she was born in Plymouth, New Hampshire on June 18, 1936.
She graduated from Wright State University with a BA in Education and Master’s Marketing. *A modern Renaissance woman, her paid employment included modeling, dental hygiene, veterinary assisting, editing, writing, research, marketing, publicity, co-owner of a travel agency, and teaching at ASU and Ottawa University. Her unpaid activities could fill volumes: she was a skilled networker and organizer, served tirelessly on many boards, was active in Historical Societies, libraries and Homeowners’ groups, loved gardening and cats.*
One of her deepest passions was for social justice, and she and her late husband, Robert, belonged to the ACLU for nearly 50 years. She is survived by one sister, three brothers, one daughter, four grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the American Heart Association or the ACLU.
