June S. Tsiokas

June Sylvia (Kirby) Tsiokas, 81, of Worcester, passed away Friday, June 25, 2010 at Memorial Hospital, following a courageous battle with breast cancer. Her husband of nearly 60 years, Gus, died in 2007. She is survived by one son, Perry Tsiokas of Framingham, two daughters, Lenni Nyberg and Dianne Berg, and a son-in-law, Dana Nyberg, of Worcester; she was predeceased by her eldest son, James Tsiokas, in 1980. June was also a loving and devoted Nana to her eight grandchildren: Perry Manzello of Gloucester, Mark Tsiokas of Spencer, Alissa Tsiokas of Worcester, Amanda Tsiokas of Boston, and Leah Nyberg, Christopher Berg, Evan Berg, and James Berg, all of Worcester.

June was born in Birmingham, England, and, like many English girls, came to the United States as a GI bride in 1948. During her long life, she experienced a childhood and adolescence in WWII England, the post-war baby boom (during which her own children were born), the Worcester tornado, the social and cultural upheavals of the 1960s, and the loss of her oldest child, all of which she faced with characteristic courage and fortitude. June was an indefatigable baker and cook, a voracious reader, a skilled seamstress and knitter, a talented dancer, and an engaging and enthusiastic storyteller. In addition to caring for her own family, she served as a beloved surrogate mother and grandmother to three generations of friends; her passing constitutes a loss that will be felt by many in her community.

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, June 29, from 6-8pm, at Caswell-King Funeral Home, 74 Grove Street, Worcester, MA. A funeral service will be held at 11am on Wednesday, June 30, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 73 Lancaster Street, Worcester, MA. Interment will be private. Donations may be made in her name to the Frances Perkins Greendale Branch of the Worcester Public Library, 470 W. Boylston St., Worcester, MA., of which June was a regular and much-loved patron.