June Howard Herrin

June Howard Herrin, 68, of Roanoke and formerly of Farifax County, passed away on Saturday, October 4, 2008 in Roanoke. She had been struggling with progressive supranuclear palsy for several years. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Atla Herrin, of Roanoke and her sister, Dr. Joyce Herrin Saunders, of Richmond. June was born March 21, 1940 and graduated in the top of her class from Andrew Lewis High School in 1958. She was a 1962 graduate of Madison College, (now JMU) and was awarded a Master of Social Work degree from the Catholic University of America in 1974.
June was a beautiful and adventurous person who loved learning and variety in life. At the beginning of her career she taught biology and then held research assistant positions at the University of Virginia (Biology Department and Medical School Anatomy Department) and Rockefeller University in New York. She then worked for 23 years in a variety of federal government positions as a clinical social worker at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, National Naval Medical Center, St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Handicapped and Crippled Children's Clinic at DC General Hospital, and the inpatient unit of the West Philadelphia Community Mental Health Consortium. Her last such position before retiring in July 1998 was as Head of the Navy's Retired Affairs Branch at the Bureau of Naval Personnel, a position she truly loved.
Following her retirement from the federal government, she was an on-site event training coordinator and volunteer before moving to Brandon Oaks in 2006. In her leisure time, she loved to travel, run, snow ski and scuba dive.
Survivors include her sister, Judith Herrin, of Roanoke; her brother, David Herrin, currently of Siler City, N.C.; niece and nephews, who are Joyce's children, Susan Richman and husband, Stuart, David Saunders and wife, Susan, Kenneth Saunders and wife, Kathy, and Robert Saunders; and two nieces, who are Judith's children, Dr. Jessica Partin and husband, Chris, and Kathryn Freeman; and seven great-nieces and nephews, Sara Saunders, Justin, Ryan, and Hannah Saunders, Eric and Abby Richman, and Grace Partin.
A burial service will be held at 10 a.m. October 8, 2008 at Sherwood Memorial Park, followed by a service of celebration of June's life at 11 a.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church, in Roanoke, with the Rev. Barkley Thompson officiating. The family will receive friends at Oakey's Roanoke Chapel from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, October 7, 2008 and also at the church following the service.
The family would like to thank the staff of Brandon Oaks and Good Samaritan Hospice for their care of June. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to CurePSP (The Society for PSP), Executive Plaza III, 11350 McCormick Road, Suite 906, Hunt Valley, MD 21031. Arrangements are by Oakey's Roanoke Chapel, 540-982-2100.