Mary June Brewster Mendias

June was born in Choudrant, Louisiana on April 26, 1921 to Ruth and Chester Brewster. She graduated at the top of her class in 1938 from Choudrant High School where she was crowned Cotton Queen. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1941, just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She joined the U.S. Office of Censorship in San Antonio in 1942 and used her degree in Spanish to translate correspondence and look for codes and secret messages within the letters. This led to a lifelong love of working cryptograms and puzzles. She met the love of her life, Luis M. Mendias, through his sister who was one of her co-workers. They married in 1945 and enjoyed 55 years of married life until his death in 2001.

June was a teacher at Madison Elementary in the SAISD for 26 years. She taught second grade and later was the first teacher of Language/Learning-Disabled students at the school. She was especially successful helping children with dyslexia and dysgraphia and was again able to use her Spanish skills to work with children for whom English was a second language. She completed her Master's degree in Counseling in 1977 from UTSA and received numerous awards for excellence in teaching over her career.

In 2005, June moved to Dallas, Texas to be near her two children, Mike and Kathy and her beloved grandson, Jared. She always kept up with current events and current trends in order to be a "cool" grandma. She volunteered at Moss Haven Elementary, again working with ESL students and teaching reading to kindergarteners.

June was beloved by all her family and friends who appreciated her keen intellect and sharp wit. She was the "rock" who could always be counted on to provide good advice and be the calm in the midst of the storm.

June is survived by her son, Michael; daughter, Kathy and husband Jeff Page; grandson, Jared Taylor; stepgrandchildren, Jessica, Rachel and Spencer Page; "adopted" grandson Rudy Sandoval; and many dear nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, Luis M. Mendias and her brother, Charles Brewster. The family will receive friends from 6:00-7:30 P.M. on Wednesday, December 10, at Porter Loring Mortuary North.

SERVICE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2014

1:00 P.M.

PORTER LORING NORTH CHAPEL

Rev. Joe Walts will officiate. Interment will be in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at a later date.