June Marie McNiven

June Brown McNiven passed away on June 23, 2017, in Ogunquit, ME, one day shy of her 100th birthday. Born on June 24, 1917 in Geneva, NY, she was a longtime resident of Altamont and then Ogunquit. She was predeceased by her husband, Roy. Her presence will be dearly missed by her children Linda & Jay Twombly of New Canaan, CT; Gail & Dale Ganott of Stanardsville, VA; Roy (Sandy) & Becky McNiven of Amherst, MA; Robert & Nancy McNiven of Altamont, NY; Scott & Amy McNiven of Fairport, NY; John & Diane McNiven of Selkirk, NY; 16 grandchildren and their spouses; 20 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She grew up in Geneva but went to live in a children's home in Canandaigua, NY in 1927, along with her 2 younger siblings. Her mother visited often and June had fond memories of this time. Two most important things in her life were her family and her military service. June will be remembered as a fun-loving woman with a positive attitude and a big heart. She loved nothing better than to visit with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She also enjoyed meeting her children's friends who will fondly remember the jokes she loved to tell. She always had time to listen and was a loyal friend. June was a mother figure to many, opening her home to Spanish and German foreign exchange students and others. Everyone felt blessed to have had her in their lives. She was very proud to serve in WWII. She was sent over to the Pacific Theater as a nurse in the Army Nurse Corps in 1942, stationed mostly outside Sydney, Australia. While traveling on the troop ship going to Australia, she met her future husband, a pilot. They married two years later. June was thrilled with her recent honor of being inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans' Hall of Fame. While raising her family, June worked for a number of years as a nurse at Brady Hospital and then Guilderland Junior High School. In the 60's June and her husband began to vacation in Ogunquit, Maine, eventually making it their summer residence. For many years they wintered in New Port Richey, FL where she loved acting and singing in variety shows. A truly amazing woman, she stopped playing golf at 95 but still was a prolific reader, kept up on current events, played bridge and worked crossword puzzles into her 99th year. She was a long-time member and supporter of the Altamont Reformed Church, volunteering much of her time during the annual Altamont Fair. A celebration of June's life will be held at the Altamont Reformed Church on November 4 at 2:00. The family requests donations be made to either the Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust, Post Office Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250, or the Altamont Reformed Church, 129 Lincoln Avenue, Altamont, NY 12009.