It is with a mixture of sadness and rejoicing that we announce the home going of our mother, Myra June Tirey Guy aka Nana, Grandma June, but she was best known as Aunt June. She passed away peacefully on July 28th at 2:20 at Oakbrook in LaBelle, FL.
She was surrounded by family and caring healthcare workers.
She was preceded in death by her parents: Lola and Lemmie Harris, her brother, Donald Harris, her husband, Glenwood Tirey, and her daughter Carol Sutton. She is survived by her daughters, Robin Tirey, and Lisa Williams, her brother Darrell Harris, and wife Glenda, her son-in-laws, Greg Sutton and Phillip Williams, her grandchildren: Gregory Sutton, Christy Pagan, Courtney Arnold, Tirey and Avery Williams, her great grandchildren Kelsey and Ethan Sutton, Noah Pagan, Caleb Pagan, Micah Arnold and RaeLyn Arnold, nephews Jeff Jerrod Harris and the Browning family.
June was born in Hopkins County, Kentucky on June 26, 1933. She moved to LaBelle, Florida over sixty years ago. She loved her new hometown and state. Her parents and in-laws soon followed. June was a wife, homemaker and stay at home mom. She began attending church at the Church of God on Elm Street. The church was her passion, her ministry, and her social life. She loved her church. Here, she blossomed. Throughout the years she held many different positions as Sunday school teacher, Bible school teacher, Children's church worker, bus minister, but her favorite job was leading the women's ministry, the Lady's Willing Worker Band (LWWB).
Throughout the years, she made and sold a lot of "Church of God hamburgers" on Friday nights, worked spaghetti dinners and always made more than her share of food for "dinners on the ground" and she never missed a service.
She raised three daughters: Carol, Robin, and Lisa and made sure that they were all active in church as well. She was a busy woman. However, she accidentally became a businesswoman. Her husband, Glenwood died in a work accident. Leaving her with three young girls to raise. Friends helped tremendously during this time. If fact, that is how the Browning's became our family.
So, the story is that she began babysitting her brother, Darrell's son, Jeff. He was taught to call her "Aunt June". So, now she was watching four children. Well, if you are watching four children, what's a few more? So, June Tirey forever became "Aunt June". She started out babysitting children of church friends: Lonnie Ray and Brian Johns. They also started calling her Aunt June and the rest as they say is history.
"Aunt June's Daycare" became a business, fully licensed in the state of Florida. Aunt June babysat generations of LaBelle children. She taught them how to spell their names, sing songs, say their ABC's, counting and Bible verses, but most of all she loved them with all her heart and soul.
Her favorite verb might have been "go". She loved to go shopping. Saturdays would often find her at the Edison Mall. It was a little embarrassing how the clerks at the Disney Store and JC Penny recognized and greeted her and Joeleen. She also liked to go on mini vacations. She loved to see the fall colors in the mountains or the lake at "Lake June".
But, her favorite thing was to go to Disney World. She loved all of Disney like "It's a Small World", but I'm embarrassed to say her favorite attraction was "The Enchanted Tikki Room". You know that annoying show "Where the birds sing bird and the flowers grow". We all loved to do Disney with her! She passed this love to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
June was a complex woman. She loved blessing people, but often felt awkward doing so. She preferred to do it in secret. I remember times when she would buy gifts and food for a family, but she wanted them to think they came from Santa. We would leave them in the cover of darkness. Recently, we found a letter where she paid to have a small school built in Africa. We had never heard anything about this. It is just one example of her generous nature.
She was never a wealthy woman, but she knew that God had blessed her and she had the desire to share that blessing. She never judged people based on their race or economic status. She loved people and helped so many people throughout her life.
Aunt June our Mama will be greatly missed. Lisa, my sister stated it best, "I can say that with all assurance she made a difference in so many lives. I know she is rejoicing in Heaven with her faithful God that she loved and served so well, as well as the loved ones who proceeded her in death. While our hearts and spirits rejoice with her, Mama we will always miss you!"
Due to the COVID 19 virus, her funeral will be a graveside service, August 7th at 10:00 a.m. at Fort Denaud Cemetery in LaBelle. Social distancing is necessary.
P.S. Lisa found your famous Coca-Cola cake recipe.
Arrangements by Akin-Davis Funeral Home - LaBelle.
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