December 24, 2006

June Paige Murphy was born in Ivor on June 9 on her father’s birthday in 1919. She died on Dec. 24, 2006. She attended public school in Suffolk, graduating from Suffolk High School on both a business and college prep track. June graduated from Elon College in 1942. During World War II, she taught school in Norfolk.

After the war, she moved with her husband J.J.W. Looney to Rocky Mount, N.C. where they lived until 1968. In Rocky Mount, June became guidance counselor at R.M. Wilson Junior High School when her daughters Carolyn and Charlotte reached school age.

She subsequently became director of guidance services for Rocky Mount City schools. From Rocky Mount City, June moved on to become director of guidance services for Nash County schools. During her tenure as a guidance director, she completed her masters degree in guidance and counseling at East Carolina College (now East Carolina University). While working on her masters, she received a fellowship which she used to further her work on psychological testing at N.C. State University in Raleigh. She was recognized in the Rocky Mount and Nash County communities as a leader in education and community service, and was a frequent speaker throughout the area.

In 1968, June left Rocky Mount for Elon College where she rounded out her career as Dean of Women, Associate Dean of Students and Professor of Psychology. June was awarded the status of Professor Emeritus after retiring from Elon (now Elon University). She was an exemplary teacher, and over twenty years after retiring from Elon, students still reached out to her and kept her up to date on their careers and family events.

Rocky Mount students from her guidance counselor days remember her fondly to this day.

June was a scout leader, Sunday School teacher, educator and role model to many young people, especially her daughters, Carolyn and Charlotte, and her grandchildren, Elizabeth and Patrick Stephens.

June was preceded in death by her parents, Louisa Crumpler and Henry Patrick Murphy, and by her brothers and sisters, Harry Pierce Murphy, James Franklin Murphy, Ethel Murphy Chapman and Chrystine Murphy Taylor.

She is survived by her devoted daughters, Carolyn Line of Charlotte, N.C. and Charlotte Stephens of Bucyrus, Kan., their husbands, Stephen Line and Chuck Stephens, and her beloved grandchildren, Elizabeth Stephens and Patrick Stephens. She is also survived by a wonderful family that includes cousins, nieces and nephews, including in particular Jack and Barbara Chapman of Suffolk, Nancy Chapman Davis of Portsmouth, Chrys Taylor Evans of Suffolk, and Lawrence Branche and Earl Branche of Virginia Beach.

A celebration of June’s life will be held at Suffolk Christian Church on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. by the Reverend Michael D. Halley. The family will receive visitors following the service at the church.

Memorial contributions may be made to Suffolk Christian Church, 216 N. Main

Street, Suffolk, Va. 23434. R. W. Baker and Co. Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the family.

Condolences may be registered at www.rwbakerfh.com.