June Deicke Rodgers

She was born June 26, 1928 to Edna May and Elmer Louis Deicke in St. Louis, MO. She graduated at 17 from Clayton High in 1945 and from Washington University in 1949. She received her master’s degree in Christian Education from Presbyterian School of Christian Education (now Union Presbyterian Seminary) in 1951.

The summer after graduation, she moved to Dallas to join the staff of Highland Park Presbyterian Church. She met Stuart Rhea Rodgers on her second day in town; he was a member of the church’s young adult group, which she had been hired to lead. It was three months before the cautious Dallas man asked her out, during Thanksgiving weekend. By Christmas, Stuart asked June to marry him, caution thrown to the wind.

They married in the summer of 1952 in Dallas. June believed a family should be centered around the kids, and therefore felt the children should outnumber the adults. She and Stuart raised three daughters (each just over a year apart) in Richardson, Texas, and June eventually enjoyed serving four Presbyterian churches as a certified Christian educator. She and Stuart, a junior high school history teacher, were founding members of Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church in Richardson, where June went on to serve as a deacon and an elder.

June never claimed any love of cooking; sewing was her satisfying hobby. Her daughters fondly remember matching outfits she created for them. A favorite family activity was tent camping, which was indulged during the long summer vacations which teachers once enjoyed. For many years, the Rodgers clan spent six to eight weeks each summer visiting national parks and campgrounds from Maine to Washington state.

After Stuart’s retirement from the Dallas Independent School District, the couple moved to East Tennessee (where Stuart’s family had roots). In Kingsport and Knoxville, June continued her volunteer service as a Girl Scout trainer while working full-time for local churches as a director of Christian education.

In 1989, the couple returned to Texas, settling in Austin, close to two of their daughters. Stuart died in 1992 at the age of 68.

June enjoyed books, gardening and working jigsaw puzzles. She belonged to two book clubs, took Tai Chi classes in her late 80s and lavished attention on her garden wherever she lived. She traveled extensively, visiting all 50 states and 30 countries. Her history with the Girl Scouts spanned decades: she was a Scout herself for 10 years, a leader for six, a trainer for eight years, and a Girl Scout office volunteer for many more. She attended the 25th Girl Scout celebration as a child, and the 50th Scout celebration in Dallas, and the 75th celebration in St. Louis. She was thrilled to be introduced to the crowd gathered at the Austin capitol during the 100th Girl Scout celebration held in 2012.

Over the years, June was active in investment clubs, PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization), Kappa Kappa Gamma, Habitat for Humanity, Presbyterian Disaster Relief and Manos de Cristo.

She belonged to Newcomers Clubs in both Knoxville and Austin, and her compulsion to keep in touch with friends created a long Christmas list. She and Stuart began sending creative, personally designed cards in 1952, which were cherished by friends, some of whom collected them year after year.

June held on to her out-of-town friends by phone, letters and email, confessing that losing touch with someone created a sense of panic for her. She was a social extrovert who was deeply interested in what made people tick. For years, she participated in a dream interpretation group and – decades ago – insisted that everyone in the family take the Myers-Briggs Personality test to increase understanding and harmony.

June was famously outspoken and direct; every family member has a least a couple of outrageous stories involving remarks from the matriarch that she neglected to filter.

Her lifelong joy in the Presbyterian Church brought her to the belief that the creative spirit which brought forth our universe is intimately involved in each life and is available to us all. So, June saw God in all her friends and family. She viewed her three daughters as supportive and loving, especially in her later years.

After Stuart’s death, she arranged special family time together annually for her daughters, which resulted in many memorable trips celebrating June’s birthday. She considered herself greatly blessed.

She is survived by her sister, Georgia Munro, 100, of Grand Junction, Colo., three daughters, Donna Jowell (Mike), Anne Rodgers (David) and Joan Hampton (David). She has three granddaughters, Staci Jowell Sager (Blake), Laura Hampton (Gareth) and Kelsey Jowell Kessler (Michael), plus four great grandchildren: Jaxon Sager, Emitt and Calvin Kessler and Lila Tilley.

She is preceded in death by her granddaughter, Beth Hampton, 1991-2002.

She found joy in being a friend and helper, looking for ways to make the world a better place for all.

A Celebration of Life ceremony at First Presbyterian Church of Austin will be announced at a future date.