Obituaries

June Gay Bevil Blankenship

Photo of June Gay Bevil Blankenship
June Gay Bevil Blankenship was born on June 26, 1937 in Brownsville, Texas, to George Guy Bevil and Dorothy Vertrees Bevil. She died in Little Rock, Arkansas, on November 14, 2016, following a brief illness. She is survived by her beloved husband of 50 years, Dr. William Frederick Blankenship, her brother and sister-in-law, Craig and Mary Bevil of Frisco, Texas, niece Lauren Bevil, niece and nephew-in-law Kristen & Chad Przano, and grandnephew Liam Przano, all of Dallas. June was preceded in death by her brother, George Guy Bevil Jr. June attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Southmost College in Edinburg. In her early years, she was a model at Neiman Marcus and Sakowitz in the Houston and Dallas areas. She also taught modeling at Montgomery Ward. While living in Houston, June met Fred, and theirs was a storybook romance. They were first married in January of 1966 at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, and again in a second ceremony required in Japan. June traveled home to close her house in Texas, and returned to Korea where vows were said a third time in a religious ceremony. June loved to tell the story of how she and Fred were married three times. June lived in Seoul for eight months while Fred was a surgeon in the US Army Medical Corps there; wives were not allowed to live with their husbands on post, so she took a job at World Bank and roomed in a boarding house for women. When they returned to the US, the couple moved to Little Rock, and June began her career as secretary to Dr. Stevenson Flanigan, as he started the first neurosurgery department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. June considered all the residents she nurtured over the years as her boys. During this time, June found the love of her life, estates sales, and started Estate Sales by June. She continued to have sales in Arkansas and set up at antique shows all over the country, until the time of her illness. During her entire life and career, June offered help to all the people she met, and never wanted any recognition for her good deeds. From pecans to clothes, to moral support, June gave what she thought people needed and would accept nothing in return. If you ever found a flat of strawberries, a five pound bag of pecans, or a basket of peaches left magically at your door, you knew June had been there. We will miss her boundless positive energy and the one thousand watt smile she had for everyone she met. June had a special love for animals--cats, dogs, and any other creature in need. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to the Pulaski County Humane Society, or an animal rescue group of your choice. Family and friends will gather to celebrate June's life on Saturday, November 19, from 3-5 p.m., at 5006 Country Club Boulevard in Little Rock. The family will have a private burial in Brownsville, Texas. Cremation Arrangements Entrusted to Arkansas Cremation. www.ArkansasCremation.com.

Published November 17, 2016

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