June Powley

1932 - 2020

June Powley

Appleton - June (Thomson) Powley, 87, died Monday, March 30, 2020 at Touchmark in Appleton, WI. She was born April 15,1932 in Flint, Michigan. A first generation American born to parents Helen (Ross) and Garnet Thomson who emigrated from Scotland, June was the middle of five children.

June was the first in her family to attend college and was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Michigan. June earned a BA in Education from U of M and a Masters in Education from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Her younger sister Arlene credits June with the inspiration to attend college and become a teacher as well.

June married Gerald (Jerry) Powley, her loving life partner of 63 years in 1956. The couple moved to Madison, WI where she taught sixth grade. They eventually settled in Kalamazoo, MI where she tutored dyslexic readers for many years and dedicated herself to raising her three sons, Kent, Scott and Todd. Upon the couple's retirement in 1994 they moved full time to Glen Arbor, MI to the beloved home they built on Little Glen Lake overlooking the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Despite her great beauty, June was not one for spa treatment, but she could be found backpacking (the length of Isle Royale with one son in diapers!) canoeing or cross country skiing. Working at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, she maintained trails, cut brush and welcomed tourists in the visitor's center. She was not afraid to get her hands dirty. Once, after participating in a Habitat for Humanity build in Georgia, she explained how she learned to install a sawzall blade backwards in order to cut studs flush with the floor.

Her interests were varied and included bowling leagues in Kalamazoo, painting classes, the garden club in Glen Arbor, and volunteering as a reading tutor. Always involved in her boy's activities she spent countless hours volunteering at school and Boy Scouting as well as shuttling to endless swim practices and meets.

June enjoyed the natural outdoors, valued her physical health and throughout her life stayed strong by hiking, kayaking, water aerobics, long bike rides, and even a YMCA membership into her eighties. She and Jerry participated in many week long, 300 mile bike trips. Into June's seventies, biking twenty miles to breakfast was not uncommon!

Throughout their lives, June and Jerry travelled extensively, visiting nearly all the US National Parks as well as Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, and Europe. She marked her globe with dots for each location she had visited. June enjoyed remembering their trips by sharing her collection of unique and artistic mementos she kept on display.

June was a quiet, gentle, kind and loving wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and sister. June is survived by sons Kent (Kristin) and Scott (Jeanne) of Neenah, WI, and Todd of Oronoco, MN and seven Powley grandchildren: Ryan, Leah, Laura, Michael (Nicole), Kyle, Carter and Helen. She is further survived by sister Arlene Langley, Downers Grove, IL and numerous nieces and nephews.

There is no memorial service planned at this time. If you wish to donate in her memory please consider The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail at sleepingbeartrail.org.

Westgor Funeral Home

205 W Doty Ave, Neenah, WI; (920) 722-7151

Condolences: www.westgorfuneralhomes.com