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June Deer Williams, 82, departed this life Wednesday, April 12, 2017, surrounded by her children. She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, William Henry Williams.
She was born in Charleston, S.C., a daughter of Henry Googe Deer and Annette Inabinette Deer and raised on Brownsville Plantation in Pawleys Island, S.C. There, she attended grades one through eight in a one-room schoolhouse. She graduated from Winyah High School and attended Columbia College.
After marrying Bill, they made Beaufort, N.C., their home. They could often be seen fishing in front of their house and later shrimping and crabbing in a small boat with three children. She was instrumental in the furnishing of Beaufort’s first museum house. She was an expert in early American silver and gave lectures on the topic.
Bill’s work took them back to Georgetown, S.C., where she reconnected with her childhood friends. A favorite outing was “junking” with her children and her friend, Jackie. Both of their families camped across the country every summer. She attended St. Mary’s Church, where she had been married. She was a Brownie and Cub Scout leader. She loved playing Bridge and hosting many supper clubs. She was dedicated to her job as a teaching assistant at Plantersville Elementary School.
In 1976, June and Bill moved to their home in Wilmingto, N.C. She started her own business, Country Heart Strings, making handicrafts from antique quilts. She enjoyed showing her hand sewn goods in shows across three states. She was a founding member of St. Mark’s Church and worked on the Linens Committee for the church altar. She enjoyed traveling abroad in a travel group and made lifelong friends.
She was affectionately known as “Mopsy” by her grandchildren and as the “love of my life” by her husband.
She is survived by her children, Mr. William Williams Jr., and his wife, Linda; and grandchildren, Trey and Ashlyn, all of Cumming, Ga.; Dr. Brad Williams, and partner, Rob Kline, of Charleston, S.C., and Ms. Elizabeth Gore; grandson, Mason of Wilmington; brother, Mr. Henry Deer Jr., and his wife, Debbie, of Port St. Lucy, Fla., and sister, Ms. Peggy Rodway of Marietta, Ga.
Donations may be made to the Wilmington Salvation Army, the American Heart Association and Vintage Values, a group supporting battered women.
A funeral Mass will be at St. Mark Catholic Church at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 18, followed by a lunch reception at the parish hall. A private burial will be held by family members.
