Merna June Holditch

Merna June was born in Santa Barbara, California to Leland and Edna Mae Copeland in 1924. She attended elementary and high school in Santa Barbara. She then attended Pomona College, majoring in Sculpture and continued her education at Claremont College where she received a Master of Arts in Teaching. After graduating, she then taught Art at the Alhambra High School. At the age of 21, Merna June married George Stanley Holditch in Santa Barbara on April 21, 1945. Together they raised a family of four children, as her very mobile executive husband relocated the family frequently. After leaving her teaching career, for many years, she volunteered as a Docent at the Cincinnati Museum of Art.

June is preceded in death by her husband, parents, and her brother Charles Copeland.

She is survived by her four children: Diane Holditch Davis, Karen Ristuccia, Lawrence Stanley Holditch and Nancy Holditch Young. At the time of her death, she had 8 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. Of note, all of her children and all of her grandchildren are happily married and with their first spouses.

A memorial service will be held at 4PM on December 9, 2021 at the McLean Presbyterian, 1020 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 with Nathan Newman, Community Pastor officiating.

The burial will be conducted January 15, 2022 in the plot beside her husband’s at the Fairhaven Memorial Park, 1702 Fairhaven Ave., Santa Ana, California.

Memorials may be given to The National Gallery of Art at https://www.nga.gov/support/donate-now.html

The family of June wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the Nurses and Caregivers of the Fairfax Reminiscence Center that took such good care of her and protected her during the Covid Pandemic when we could not.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.fairhavenmemorial.com for the Holditch family.