Junella "June" Mary (Vachon) Burns

Junella “June” Mary Burns, loving and beloved wife and mother, passed away passed away on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at the age of 96 in Orlando, FL, surrounded by loved ones who will forever honor her memory. Junella was born July 2, 1925, in Ft. Wayne to Clara E. (Weller) Vachon and Sylvester J. Vachon. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Marian College, now Marian University, in Indianapolis, IN. She met Robert T. Burns of Indianapolis on a blind date. He determined on that first date that he wanted to marry her; she took a little more time to reach the same conclusion. In 1949 they married at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Yoder, IN. Robert worked as a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. State Department, and, together with Junella and their family, which grew to include five children, they served postings in Vancouver, BC, Canada; Berlin, Germany; Washington, DC; Paris, France; New York City; and Bonn, Germany. Upon retirement, Bob and June moved to Dunedin, FL. It was her great joy to spend time on her crafts, pottery, and collecting and creating miniature scenes that are treasured by her children for their beauty and exquisite craftmanship. She was a lifelong bird lover. Throughout her life, she volunteered at her parishes, running fundraising craft fairs, creating crafts to sell, sewing vestments, and managing activities for senior citizens. She was preceded in death by her mother; father; and sisters, Adele, Carmen, Beverly, and La Donna; and is survived by her husband of 72 years, Robert; children, Anne (Joe) Raspanti, Terry (Alice) Burns, Sue (Jay) McFadyen, Lorraine (Stephen) Burns, and Margaret Burns; sisters, Myrna Kendrick and Karen (Bob) Sims; brothers, Win (Pat) Vachon and Marvin Vachon; 13 grandchildren; and 17 great grandchildren. A memorial gathering will take place at 10:00 AM, with a Mass at 11:00, and internment following the mass on Friday, March 11, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 14623 Bluffton Road, Yoder, IN 46798. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in her name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/). Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.elzey-patterson-rodakfuneralhome.com for the Burns family.