June Harnest Chavern

JUNE HARNEST CHAVERN

OBITUARY

June Harnest Chavern, age 94, went to her next adventure on September 18, 2025. June was an effervescent, outgoing, energetic, joyful person who loved people.

June was born in McAllen, Texas and lived in the Rio Grande Valley until she attended the University of Texas in Austin from which she graduated in 1952 with a degree in Home Economics and Child Development. During college she met and fell in love with a Presbyterian Seminary Student, Charley Harnest, who had served as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy and student body President at Southwestern University (and in his free time during seminary, played shortstop on a semi-pro baseball team). June and Charley married and had five children: Pam, Valerie, Matthew, Cynthia, and Cheryl.

While raising kids, June was actively involved as a pastor's wife at the various churches in which Charley served as minister. The growing family moved throughout Texas from Raymondville to Sweetwater to Amarillo, and, in 1965, settled in Fort Worth where Charley was called by the Presbyterian governing body to start a new church, St Francis Presbyterian Church. June made dear friends in each town and, just like with her high school friends, stayed in close contact with them throughout her life. Along the way, June taught preschool at the Museum of Science and History in Fort Worth, earned her master's degree in child development and early childhood education, and started a preschool that quickly filled up. In her late forties, June and Charley divorced, and June began working full time with Planned Parenthood of Fort Worth. As June says, "It was the first time I'd ever had a full-time job and I loved it!"

Asked one day by a Girl Scout leader to teach her group of 9-year-old Girl Scouts about the changes of puberty, June decided to make some anatomically correct rag dolls so she could show the girls as well as tell them about bodies. One thing led to another, and June's anatomically correct rag dolls took off as educators, and then child therapists, even law enforcement officials who gratefully used the dolls to talk with young children who were suspected victims of sexual abuse.

June's doll business, which she created in 1981 and named Teach-A-Bodies, took off. Flooded with requests and orders worldwide, June and her growing number of seamstresses developed children-size dolls: toddlers, infants, grandparents, teenagers, in three colors of white, medium, and dark for different nationalities. Teach-A-Bodies is a third-generation international family business now owned by one of June's granddaughters, Karly Broerman. June became certified as a sex educator and taught classes at elementary schools (where parents came to classes with their children), at Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical students and residents, and at dozens of community group gatherings. She wrote several children's books on sex education including "The Sex Education of Susie and Fred." With a booming Teach-a-Bodies business in Japan, a Japanese publisher published her "Susie and Fred" into Japanese. In 1987, June was invited to appear on the Phil Donahue Show, where she was a big hit as she demonstrated for the television audience and Phil Donahue (whose eyebrows raised a bit) how to put tiny condoms on and off of her dolls.

Whatever June did, she did it 1000% and with tremendous joy. She especially loved holidays. She was famous for being the witch in the neighborhood at Halloween. As June describes, "She looked awful." (She really did! Her skin was green; her hair was covered a ghoulish red wig; her make-up was frightful; and her two inch nails with black polish looked like weapons. Her pointed witch's hat and flowing black dress were terrifying.) The kids in the neighborhood loved coming to have June screech at them as she served them her "magic potion" (Kool-Aid submerged in dry ice smoking from a black pot). As June says, "Kids would come year after year and stand amazed or cry."

Through mutual friends, June met Hugh Chavern, a physician and psychiatrist who served as the medical director of a Mental Health Center in Pennsylvania. They married and had a glorious twenty-five years together. Both loved to travel and wow, did they! Through Friendship Force, a cultural exchange group, they traveled and lived in the homes of families in Australia, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Ghana West Africa, Costa Rica, Bulgaria, Poland, India and throughout the U.S. They made a trip around the world in 1985, and additional trips to Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Scotland, the Netherlands, France, Singapore, Thailand, Galapagos islands, Italy, Ecuador, Peru, Hong Kong, Argentina, Chile, Canada, England, Japan, China, Israel, Egypt, Taiwan, and Bali. June took up water coloring and Hugh took up acrylics. Both were gifted artists, often traveling internationally for art shows and to juried shows where their works were featured.

June is preceded in death by her husband, Hugh Chavern, son-in-law, Larry Pierson, and grandson, M.C. Harnest. June leaves behind her children: Pam Harnest Bucy Pierson, Valerie Harnest Kasten (Bruce), Matthew Harnest, Cynthia Harnest, and Cheryl Harnest; grandchildren: Julie Bucy Everts (Len), Ben Bucy (Megan), Chelsea Kasten Neilson (Cade), Karly Kasten Broerman (Matt), Hannah Rutledge, Josh Rutledge, Shalom Shumate (James), and Mattox Harnest; nine great-grandchildren, and through Hugh, five bonus-children and spouses, and several bonus-grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In closing here are what June listed (at age 80) as the "three things I'd like future generations to know about me": "I meant well. I loved a lot. I did the best I could at the time." Here are the June's "three things I just cannot live without": "Color especially turquoise. Pleasant people to be around. Touch and fun in my life." Here is June's " Last Word: Advice I'd Like to Share": "1. Find your passion. 2. Be thankful for what you have. 3. Keep a positive attitude."

Please send comments or your favorite story of June to: WeLoveUJune@gmail.com

In lieu of flowers, June has requested that donations be made to the Presbyterian Night Shelter of Fort Worth which provides help and support for women and children; Tarrant County Food Bank; or the Women's Center of Tarrant County, Texas.

June's family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to the special staff at Trinity Terrace Memory Care.

We love you June, Mom, Mimi!