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Dorothy `June` Grant , Age: 95

June 23, 1927 - May 28, 2023

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Dorothy “June” Grant passed away peacefully on May 28, 2023, with

her children at her side. June, as she was called since a young child,

was born to Emma “Grace” and Archibald “Archie” Raymond Crawford

on June 23, 1927, in Everett, Washington. She was the second of three girls.

June was raised with her two sisters, Betty and Patty, as well as two of

her aunts. The aunts were her mother’s younger sisters, Frances and

Dorothy. To prevent confusion with two Dorothy’s in the house, June

soon went by her middle name, and it stayed with her for the rest of

her life.

Many of June’s growing up years were during the Great Depression.

Her father worked for the Great Northern Railroad, which was

wonderful as it provided a steady paycheck for the family, but difficult

as it meant him being assigned to work in areas away from home for

stretches of time. Several of his assignments included running train

stations in remote locations of the state, such as mountain passes and

small towns such as Leavenworth and Dryden. These locations also

became some of her favorite childhood memories of hiking, fishing,

fresh berries and great meals that Grace or Archie prepared on wood

stoves.

Both of June’s parents were orphaned, so she never met any of her

grandparents but heard some wonderful tales. One of her favorite

stories was about her maternal grandfather who was a chocolatier in

Edmonton, Alberta. He had the distinction of owning one of the first

cars in Edmonton. Back in the early 1900’s the roads were not

designed for cars. It wasn’t long before he ran that car into a tree and

had the added distinction of totaling the first car in town.

June attended school both in Everett and Burlington, graduating from

Everett High School. After high school June worked for the Everett

Power and Light Company to save money to attend college. Her

original dream was to become a nurse, but her mother watched her

two younger sisters, Frances and Dorothy, become nurses and felt the

work was too demanding with little reward, so June switched to home economics.

While attending Central Washington College (now University), June was

introduced to Richard “Dick” Grant as she was finishing a tennis class.

He invited her to go watch a track meet and they were immediately

taken with each other. They used to share stories of their dating years

which started with study sessions in the library, followed by basketball

games, mostly for a warm place to go, and ice cream on their way

home. Dick was accepted into medical school at the U of W after 2

years at Central. Following one year of going back and forth between

Seattle and Ellensburg, they decided it was time to get married and be

together in Seattle. They married on June’s 24 th birthday. Dick joked it

was so he only had to remember one date.

Their first years found them living in a studio apartment in Green Lake,

where Dick often hosted study sessions with his fellow students. June

always had coffee and a sweet treat such as homemade brownies or

cookies ready for them. They would often study late into the night,

which put June in the interesting position of trying to sleep with 4 or 5

medical students less than 20 feet away, separated by only a hanging

sheet for privacy.

June shared the joy of good chocolate with Dick. Dick became buddies

with a man he called “Old Man Boehm” who owned Boehm’s

chocolates nearby. If Dick stopped by to look around the shop and say

hello, Mr. Boehm would often hand Dick a bag of “seconds” to share

with June and his study group. For years when traveling between

Everett and Lacey, the family car always made a detour to Boehm’s on

Green Lake so June could get a bag of her favorites.

Following the birth of their first child, Linda, they moved to Yesler

Terrace. Their second daughter, Karen, arrived on the same day Dick

started his internship. Coincidentally, June was in the same hospital as

Dick’s internship and shared a room with another intern’s wife. Their

room was the gathering place for Dick’s intern group, and she was

grateful to be discharged home to get some rest.

Their third daughter, Pam, and son, Randy, were welcomed to the

family following a move to Auburn where Dick established his first

practice. The demands on a young doctor were so great, Dick was not

able to spend much time with June or his young family. He obtained a

position as an associate medical director with Occidental Life Insurance

in Los Angeles with a Monday through Friday work week. The family

moved to Granada Hills where they made lifelong friends with

fascinating people in various professions. During their first Christmas,

June missed lights and outdoor decorations often displayed in

Washington. June turned their garage door into a giant Christmas card

with the 3 Wise Men following the Star of Bethlehem.

The neighbors were so impressed and enthusiastic, they all came up with their own

designs to display on their garage doors. The last June heard, the

tradition continued long after she moved away.

After 3 years of living in Southern California, they realized how much

they missed the Pacific Northwest, with family, and yes, clouds and

rain. In 1961, the family returned to Washington, moving into a newly

developing neighborhood called Tanglewilde followed by a move to the

family home on Hicks Lake in 1962. Their home was among the first

permanent homes built on the lake.

June and Dick’s hosting of summer gatherings and family reunions on

the lake were legendary. Everyone was welcome with lots of amazing

food, swimming, water skiing and just hanging out. Their house was

filled with joy, love and laughter.

Dick and June took advantage of all family reunions and gatherings,

stressing the importance of family and staying connected. They happily

traveled anywhere a family member might be to visit and get to know

that area. An annual vacation was to Birch Bay where the Crawford

clan would gather for crabbing, horse claim digging, lots of great food

and hysterical laughter!

June celebrated every special occasion and holiday with a beautifully

decorated house and great food fitting the occasion. The family home

was a magical Thanksgiving and Christmas experience! She also

decorated Dick’s office for each of the holidays with the goal to

entertain and delight the children, which in turn also delighted and

entertained the adults. Patients often commented on how beautifully

festive the waiting room was each holiday season.

June was an awesome cook. Her kids remember coming in the door

from school and smelling the most wonderful aromas followed by the

most delicious meals.

As the children grew up, June never missed a school or athletic event.

She was sometimes the only mother in the bleachers and made sure

that each of the student competitors knew someone was rooting for

them. She was a frequent school volunteer while her kids were

attending school.

June served as a state officer for 10 years in the Washington State

Medical Association Auxiliary. In that role, she was involved in many

safety initiatives, including the “Buckle Up! We Love You!” campaign,

bicycle helmet laws, organ donations, and encouraging people to

always carry identification on them while biking, running or exercising

outside.

Following their last child’s college graduation, June and Dick discovered

pleasure cruising and introduced it to the rest of the family. They took

many cruises as well as land trips following Dick’s retirement. Some

notable ones included June’s family heritage area of Nova Scotia and

New Brunswick, as well as Belgium, France and Holland. June and her

sister Patty went with Linda and her husband Steve to the United

Kingdom in 2014 and visited their Irish and Scottish ancestral areas.

June was one of the initial members of the Lacey Mid-Day Lions. She

believed in its purpose and threw herself wholeheartedly into

volunteering, creating lifelong friendships. She often got her children

and some grandchildren to help during apple packing season.

Following Dick’s passing, June increased her involvement with The

United Churches of Olympia and served as a Caring Friend for a couple

of years. She really enjoyed getting to know and spending time with

fellow church members.

June seemed happy to meet anyone and connected with others easily.

Dick often said that “June never met a stranger.” She had a quick and

very witty sense of humor, often putting her family and friends into

tears of laughter.

June lived in Bonaventure for the last 5 ½ years of her life. She loved

being around people her own age, although longed for more family

time. Covid was hard on everyone. Her passions included reading,

feeding and watching hummingbirds, gardening and spending as much

time as possible with family and friends.

June was preceded in death by her husband Dick, daughter Karen Jarvis,

son-in-law Steve Boruchowitz, parents Grace and Archie, sisters Betty

and Patty, as well as several fur babies. She is survived by daughters

Linda Grant and Pam (Jim) Shirrell, son Randy (Cheryl) Grant, son-in-law

Scott Jarvis, as well as grandchildren Jimmy Shirrell, Emily (Steven

Kutsch) Grant, Courtney (Ian) Doyle, Kelsey Grant, Grant (Lisa)

Boruchowitz and Claire Grant. One great-grandchild is on the way.

Her children were always proud to call her Mom. She is so loved and is

so missed.

June’s service will be Thursday, June 8, at Woodlawn in Lacey. Viewing

is at 10:00 and service at 11:00, followed by fellowship in the reception

area. June was a very generous donator to many charities. In lieu of

flowers, please consider donating to your favorite charity in memory of

June.

Additional Service: Visitation

Location: Woodlawn Funeral Home

Address: 5930 Mullen Road SE

City: Lacey

State: Washington

Zip Code: 98503

Date of Service: June 08, 2023

Time of Service: 10:00 AM

Additional Information: No Additional Information Added

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Additional Service: Funeral Service