June Rosemary Wilkinson

We are profoundly saddened to share the passing of June Rosemary Wilkinson (nee Parsons) on February 26, 2022 at the age of 89 years.

Born in St. John’s, June was a proud Newfoundlander who loved her family and enjoyed her close circle of school friends and nursing colleagues.

She is pre-deceased by her husbands Eric Gatehouse and Harold Wilkinson, daughter Virginia Sturge, her parents Charles and Lilian Parsons, brothers Jack and Bud, and sister Alison.

Leaving to mourn are her sons Kenneth Gatehouse (Michele), Herbert Gatehouse (Nicole), her son-in-law Gerald Sturge and grand-daughters Rebecca, Olivia (Hayley) and Emily (Sander), and grand-daughter Heidi Rideout (Tristan) with great-grandson Ethan.

June is lovingly missed by her nieces Gail Vavasour, Peggy-Sue Ryan and Fern Pike, nephew Dave Gatehouse and close friends Shirley Hoyle of Yorkshire, England, Ann and Mike Boriel of Ottawa, and Pat Porter of St. John’s. She is also mourned by her dear friend Kathy Thorne, to whom the family owes a debt of gratitude for her care and nurture during the past three years.

June lived a good life. Raised in a loving home on Avalon Terrace, Old Topsail Road by her parents Lilian and Charles Parsons, she was their pride and joy, having been born two years after her older sister Alison passed at a tender age. Her brothers Jack and Bud adored June and made sure no one took her marbles in the school yard. Together they enjoyed their youth in St. John’s, where June skated, swam and played tennis in Bowring Park, and spent summers on Topsail Beach.

After completing high school at the original Prince of Wales College on Lemarchant road, June decided to go into nursing and has remained close with friends from her school days and the old General Hospital School of Nursing. She fondly recalled her days working at the cottage hospital in Botwood and travelling by boat to communities in Notre Dame Bay to provide vaccinations in isolated communities.

In 1956, June married Eric Gatehouse of Botwood, an accountant with whom she had three children: Virginia, Kenneth and Herbert. When Eric died suddenly after 11 years of marriage, June and the children returned to St. John’s to be closer to her Mother and extended family for support.

Later, June met Harold Wilkinson, a proud Yorkshire man, who was visiting St. John’s while working aboard a ship laying trans-Atlantic cable. He wined and dined his way into her heart, and soon they were married. Their romance was the envy of friends and family, and they always celebrated “The Twelfth of Never” on their anniversary. Harold and June travelled often to Florida, across Canada and to England where they spent time exploring the countryside, meeting with friends and family, and making happy memories together, often with their son Ken at their side.

After retiring from nursing, June worked at Happy Times preschool in St. John’s. She doted on her four grand-daughters (Heidi, Rebecca, Olivia, Emily) and was lovingly known as “Nan” to many of her grand-daughters’ friends. When the girls were young, June dressed up as Santa Claus at Christmas to surprise them and on Christmas Eve she always read aloud The Night Before Christmas.  June enjoyed creating special traditions with Virginia and the girls in their shared home for more than 20 years.

June counted her blessings to be born on the island. She enjoyed fine bone china, gifts of jewelry, crossword puzzles, flowers and gardens, and her annual birthday gift of moccasin slippers from Northern Manitoba adorned with caribou tufting and rabbit fur. June was an excellent cook and baker, and was known for her Fish Fridays, Christmas trifle, mincemeat tarts and homemade apple pie. She kept up on the daily news and could converse knowledgeably on current affairs, although her taste in TV shows also ran towards Survivor and Dancing with the Stars.

June was a true Anglophile, which she came by honestly from her mother Lilian, a WWI war bride from Hampshire, England. She kept up with the Royal Family’s happenings throughout the years, particularly the Queen, whom she admired as a contemporary. She made a proper cup of tea, enjoyed imported British treats from Coleman’s, and of course, she was a fan of Coronation Street, Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey and all the best British dramas on TV. She was also an avid hockey and rugby fan.

June relished her visits to the beauty salon to get her hair done, painting her nails, and accessorizing her outfits. She had a refined taste for lobster, seafood and fresh lamb, and indulged in fancy skin creams, scarves and perfumes. She had a quick wit and enjoyed a lively exchange, as well as buying and reading good books which she enjoyed discussing with her daughter-in-law Michele.

June had a great memory for detail and spent hours talking to her son Ken about her father Charlie’s experiences in WWI with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and his life before and after the war. She recognized that Charlie had inspired her son’s decision to also join the military and serve with the Regiment, and she always enjoyed the historical research and pictures that Ken shared.

June loved to socialize and in 2012, she celebrated her 80^th birthday with a special dinner party and evening of dancing with friends and family. A few years later, after her husband Harold’s death, June left her home in Mount Pearl and moved into a personal care home, where she remained interested in the world around her, despite her declining health.

June will be lovingly remembered by her extended family in England, Canada, USA and The Netherlands, and by all those with whom she was close. She is happily reunited with her daughter Virginia Susan in heaven, whom she has greatly missed these past two years, as well as her cherished husband Harold.

We will think of June whenever we see a beautiful garden, a fresh bouquet of flowers, hear birds singing, enjoy a chilled glass of white wine or watch the sun split the rocks over the ocean.

Special thanks to Doctors Peter Robbins and Ian MacPherson, and the staff at Westbury Estates, Bishops Gardens, and Meadow Creek Retirement homes.

Resting at Carnell’s Funeral Home, 329 Freshwater Rd, St. John’s. Visitation on March 5-6 by invitation or by request due to COVID-19 restrictions; please contact Ken Gatehouse (709) 765-5468. Proof of vaccination and mask required. Funeral to follow at a later date. Donations of flowers or to a charity of one’s choice are greatly appreciated.