June Bowen Lampe

1915 - 2021

June Bowen Lampe, born in Dowagiac, Michigan (1915), passed away March 20, 2021 at 8:55 am, at the age of 105. June was preceded in death by her spouse of 78 wonderful years, Frederick Lampe; parents John W. and Augusta Glocksien Bowen; sisters Dottie Whitney, Nini Hoppel, and Marilyn Danley. She is survived by her children Debbie Lampe Herrera of New Orleans and Barbara Lampe Bishop and her husband David Bishop of Atlanta, Georgia; grandchildren Stephanie Herrera Parrino (late Joseph Parrino, Jr.) of New Orleans and Martin Herrera of New Orleans, David Bishop and his wife Debbie Bishop of Atlanta, Georgia and Hillari McRae and her husband Brent McRae of Jordan, Montana; great-grandchildren Coye Bishop and his wife Ashley Bishop, Kyle Bishop of Atlanta, Georgia, Charles, John, and Benjamin Frederick McRae of Jordan, Montana; great-great-granddaughter Oliva Rose Bishop of Atlanta, Georgia. June grew up in Huron, South Dakota where she lived until 1958. During her time in South Dakota she was involved in many community organizations such as a Girl Scout leader and member of Grace Episcopal Church. June also loved golf, modeling, and art. June alongside her husband moved to New Orleans in 1958. Here she worked for 10 years for Modern Beauty Magazine and earned a press card to write for them. She began teaching art at Means Fine Art Gallery in Gentilly. Her husband, Fritz did customized framing there also. They bought Means Art Gallery and ran an antique store plus teaching art in Old Master Oil Technique, watercolors, and sculpture. Her most love in life was creating her encaustics paintings and working together with Fritz. She always thought of her students as family, many of them were with her for 30 to 40 years. She also enjoyed teaching teenage children. After the fire, they moved to a new location in Metairie in 1997, and continued teaching. Fritz his creative framing all around New Orleans area and parts of the United States. Fritz, loved by all the students as well worked till he was 97 and June till she was 100 years old. She studied under her uncle Frank Freelander of the Chicago Institute of Art, Leopoldo Giraudy from Cuba, and sculptor Juan Jose Calandria. Known for her encaustics, she loved to bring a sculptural feeling to her paintings. As mentioned in her autobiography, Many Little Fires, she "depicts transcendent, mythological and biblical figures, resplendent abstracts, vivid florals and captivating personalities set amidst dynamic fields of textured, flowing color." June had many professional accomplishments, Worlds Whos' Who of Women, International Register of Profiles, American Artists of Renown, World Whos' Who of Intellectuals, Personalities of America 1984, Women of the Decade, and people of the Century. June's works are in many corporate and private collections. Her work has been shown at the Todd Madigan Gallery at California State University Bakersfield the I.A.C. Gallery in Beverly Hills and LaJolla, California, the Nelson Rockefeller Gallery in Palm Springs, California and in the New Orleans Museum of Art. She will be missed by all those who touched her life. A celebration of her life will be held at the family home. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, to honor June just remember her joy of family and students. The family invites you to express your fond thoughts, memories and condolences online at lakelawnmetairie.com.