Betty June ()Stewart Newkirk

June Stewart Newkirk, 84, died after a long battle with congestive heart failure on Monday morning, June 8, 2026 in Charleston, WV.

June was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Charles and Mettie Stewart where she graduated from Fayetteville High School and the University of Arkansas with a BS in Communications in 1963. It was in her third year at college, while attending the Baptist Student Union, where she met the love of her life, her husband to be, Darrel Newkirk.

In 1963-67, she supported her husband through his medical school training in New Orleans while she enjoyed working as a Speech and History teacher in a local high school. At night, she worked as a librarian to save up enough money for both of them to take a trip around the world in 1966, when Darrel was invited to work at a medical mission hospital in Tanzania.

In 1968, the couple moved to San Carlos, AZ where June gave birth to their two daughters while her husband served on an Apache Indian Reservation.

Between 1970-1977 the young family moved several times. They lived one year in Irving, Texas, one year in Lutherville, Maryland, two years in the rural village of Vanga, Zaire (Congo) and three years in Kinshasa, Zaire central Africa, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

In 1977, she and her family moved back to the United States, to settle down in Kansas City, Kansas, where she lived for 37 years and worked towards completing her Masters degree in Counseling at Midwestern Baptist Seminary to become a chaplain. She continued to teach high school students, as well as work with emotionally disturbed youth. June's professional life always reflected her compassion and commitment to helping others.

In addition, she had a special love for animals, great and small, and pursued that passion as a trained Zoo Docent for the Kansas City Zoo for 11 years.

In 1986, at age 45, she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease dermatomyositis that lasted ten years. She developed severe blindness from macular degeneration, atrial fibrillation, arthritis requiring knee and neck surgeries, and had surgeries for a congenital foot defect, aortic valve replacement and a Watchman procedure, and finally congestive heart failure. Despite these incredible health setbacks, she handled her life with grace, great acceptance, dignity, and inner strength.

She loved traveling to all 7 continents, 95 countries, all 50 US states, all Canadian provinces except one, taking 22 cruises, where she crossed the Atlantic to Ocean 3 times and the Pacific Ocean once, and visited about half of the US national parks.

In 2012 she had fun appearing on the national game show Family Feud where she (“Mama June”) and her family won all 5 games.

In 2014, the retired couple moved to make their home in Cross Lanes, West Virginia near one of their daughters.

June's faith was central to her life and she loved being of service . She taught Sunday School for over 30 years and enjoyed being a member of P.E.O. Sisterhood and volunteering for Faith in Action.

June had a love for live theatre, movies, audiobooks, music, animals and people. She was always a presence of light and sweet kindness to all who met her and touched countless lives with her ability to accept and love all people unconditionally.

But mostly, June was a proud and devoted mother, grandmother, and loved her husband until death did they part.

She was a terrific human being.

June is predeceased by her parents and her brothers, Charles and James Stewart, and her sister Joy Findley and nephews and nieces.

She will be deeply missed by all who knew her, but especially by her daughters Dee Ann Newkirk (son-in-law Jack Sundmacher) and Kristy Watson, and her three grandchildren, Lydia and Ward Watson and Emma Rose Sundmacher, but mostly, by her beloved husband of 62 1/2 years, Dr. Darrel Newkirk.

Though she is gone from our sight, she remains forever in our hearts.

"Her life was a blessing, her memory a treasure. She is loved beyond words and missed beyond measure."

A public Celebration of Life will be held at Tyler Mountain Funeral Home on Saturday July 4, 2026 at 2 pm.

For more information or to send condolences to www.tylermountainfuneralhome.com