June Beck Obituary

June Audrey (née Johnk) Beck died on May 23, 2025, at the age of 90.
June was born on October 7, 1934, in Sabin, Minnesota, to Arthur and Maude Johnk. June was the youngest of 5 children and grew up in Sabin, a town of about 250 people. She met her husband Gerald "Jerry" when he moved in across the street with his parents. Their parents became very good friends, and June and Jerry started dating and were married on May 22, 1955. They moved to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1959, and spent 27 years living in Shoreview, Minnesota where they raised their daughters, Debra and Diana. June worked as a business manager at Shoreview Family Physicians where she was a one-woman show who managed the office and ensured that it ran smoothly.
June grew up very poor, but her mother was an amazing woman who taught her the value of hard work. June was an exceptionally generous woman who was a friend to all and found joy in giving to others financially while she was alive. June and Jerry thoroughly enjoyed the time they spent with their daughters, Debra and Diana, their husbands, John and Chris, and their "favorite" granddaughter, Caitlin, and "favorite" grandson Ryan. It's easy to be the "favorites" when you're the only two grandkids!
There are so many family memories that we have shared over the years, including multiple trips to Austin, Texas where June and Jerry lived for 37 years. Caitlin and Ryan spent 3-5 weeks every summer visiting "Grandma and Grandpa camp" where they would swim for hours on end in Grandma and Grandpa's swimming pool. June and Jerry also took the kids on multiple cruises which helped enrich their lives by having the opportunity to explore new destinations and share invaluable time with their awesome grandparents. June and Jerry were affectionately known as "Junie B" and "Jer Bear" to the grandkids.
June and Jerry were also foster grandparents to Amelia and Owen Loving, and together with Caitlin and Ryan had many adventures in Texas over the years. June and Jerry had their hands full when all the kids were together! June loved children, and had many friends who had younger children who would bring their kids to swim in their pool. There were many pool parties which included raucous games of water volleyball! Other incredibly special children in June and Jerry's lives included Sarah Ring, Caroline, Laurel Claire and Julianna Webb, Sam, Olivia, and Lauren Walter, and Lauren Presnal. It's incredible that these children were still a part of June's life over the years, and she received calls from them up until the time of her death.
June loved to play cards, especially Bridge, 500, and a family favorite card game called Nertz. There were many wild games of Nertz played over the years with the family, and June and Jerry taught other friends to play this game too. The family continued to play games up until the end of June's life, and she was always encouraging everyone to do well, but she was competitive too!
June and Jerry were actively involved with Presbyterian Church of the Way in Shoreview, MN. June acted as an Elder, Deacon, Treasurer, and nursery and Sunday school teacher, and many family friends were made through this association. They also were very involved with Covenant Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas for many years.
June and Jerry participated in square dancing and ballroom dancing clubs in Austin. June also enjoyed playing golf with her lady friends in Austin. June and Jerry loved to downhill ski and went on various trips out west. June, Jerry, Debra and Diana learned to ski together when the girls were young, so that they could have a family activity that they could enjoy together.
June loved to bake and enjoyed trying new recipes. Cookies were her specialty! For those of you who have been lucky enough to taste her cookies, you know how good they are!
She also did an exceptional job of keeping in touch with friends and family over the years. She would always remember to send greeting cards for every holiday and made everyone feel special by being remembered.
June and Jerry loved to travel and went on 32 cruises over the course of their marriage. They also traveled to Europe on multiple occasions and made many trips across the United States visiting family and friends and exploring new places. They loved to go to Las Vegas where they would see various shows, and June enjoyed playing the slot machines. June, Debbie, and Diana have lots of fun memories spending time together at Mystic Lake Casino where they would cheer each other on!
Fun family trips included visiting Disney World, where June would go on any ride. Her greatest joy was watching other people have fun while she was with them.
June and Jerry moved back to St. Paul in 2023 when they decided it was time to move closer to their daughters. They instructed Debbie and Diana to find them a place to live, and we are so happy that we were able to find them an apartment at Marvella in Highland Park where they have made so many new friends. June really enjoyed living at Marvella and meeting so many amazing people. We know that you will all keep an eye on Jerry and make sure he's included in events.
We are so fortunate that they moved back to Minnesota and have thoroughly enjoyed having them closer so we could have more fun memories. There have been multiple outings to Circus Juventas, Chanhassen Dinner Theater, and other adventurous day trips.
June and Jerry were able to spend their 70th wedding anniversary together the day before June passed away. We are so happy that they were able to spend this milestone together, even if it was in the hospital.
We will greatly miss our mom, and Jerry has lost his best friend, but we know that we will be together again with her in the future. She will forever be "Junie B" in our hearts.
Memorials are preferred to be sent to Presbyterian Church of the Way, 3382 Lexington Avenue N, Shoreview, MN 55126.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025. There will be a visitation starting at 9:00 AM, followed by a Memorial Service at 10:00 AM, at the Marvella Town Center, 825 Mount Curve Blvd, St. Paul, MN. Tribute Video
To send flowers
to the family, please visit our floral store.