June W Murray

June Winnifred (Vanelli) Murray (née Rice)

June W. Murray passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, at the Wentworth Home in Dover, NH, on January 16, 2026. Born on June 6, 1926, in Boston, MA, June was 99 years old. She was a woman blessed with remarkable health, a spirit of adventure, and a life of good fortune.

June was predeceased by her parents, Alexander H. and Winnifred B. Rice, and her brothers, Frank H. Rice and Walter C. Rice. As the last remaining member of her generation, she leaves behind a legacy of resilience and hard work.

A graduate of Thayer Academy in Braintree (1943), June also attended Endicott College and the Institute of Fashion and Design in Boston. In 1946, she married Robert F. Vanelli (1924–2008), with whom she raised three children. While still in her 20s, she balanced her role as a homemaker with being a vital business partner in her husband’s fledgling home construction company.

Her ambitious nature continued into her later years. During the 1970s and 1980s, June pursued a successful 20-year career as an Assessor and home appraiser for the towns of Needham, Medway, and several other Massachusetts communities. On her 90th birthday she was honored with a citation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for dedication to public service.

June’s values were shaped by her parents, who immigrated from Nova Scotia as teenagers and built a successful life through their entrepreneurial grit. Though she grew up in comfortable circumstances, June maintained the unpretentious values of her era, believing that hard work and high standards were the true measures of prosperity.

In 1984, June married Thomas A. Murray Jr. (1908–2001). Together, they shared a love of adventure , traveling extensively across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. An avid collector, June was a woman of diverse interests, known for her impressive stamp and rock collections, her vibrant wardrobe, and her vast circle of friends with whom she maintained correspondence over many decades. Throughout her life, she called Milton, Needham and Medway (MA), Wakefield, RI, and Dover, NH, home.

June is survived by her children, Marcia Vanelli Chapman, Robert Vanelli, and Richard Vanelli; and her grandchildren, Nicholas (Danielle) Vanelli, Michael Vanelli, Adrian Chapman (Rawan Missouri), Julia Chapman Cucchiara (Taylor), and Mika Vanelli. She is also survived by seven great-grandchildren, Vincenzo, Rocco, and Giovanni Vanelli, Raphael and Aida Chapman, Dahlia and Ruby Cucchiara).

June will be remembered for her friendliness, her upbeat and outgoing personality, and her unwavering devotion to her family. Affectionately known as the “Queen Bee,” she was the heart of her family. Her life was defined by determination, high standards, and a remarkable inner drive. June truly loved her life and was always ready for a celebration, surrounded by the family and friends she cherished.

The Chapman and Vanelli families would like to thank the Wentworth Home and Wentworth Hospice Care for their kindness and compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be donated to a charity of your choice.