Carolyn J. Shockey *
June Shockey, 82, passed away Sunday, November 29 at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, Missouri, from post-surgical complications. The family plans a cremation followed by private ceremony in the coming weeks. A public memorial service, to be conducted virtually, will be held on Saturday, December 12 at 2 p.m.
June was born and raised in Mercer, Missouri, as the 12th of 13 children. She often regaled her sons and grandsons with great stories of humor, hardship, love and laughter growing up in her very-big family in a very-small town. She talked about great memories like playing on her school basketball teams, and hard times like her family’s struggles following a devastating home fire. Most of all she told wonderful stories of growing up playing, fighting and laughing with her siblings.
After graduating from high school June headed for bigger cities to live and work, eventually ending up in Kansas City, Missouri, where she would live for the rest of her life. In those early years she worked at a large downtown bank, where she took pride in her work and the responsibility she was given. Along the way she met and married Bill Shockey, and she gave birth to her three sons – Gary, Michael and James.
June was a devoted mother to her boys. She was especially always so proud and encouraging of her sons’ many creative musical and artistic interests and endeavors. She enjoyed driveway basketball games and long walks with them. She lived with their loud music and louder wrestling matches. Most importantly, she was the rock they always knew they could count on, no matter what.
During the years while she was raising her young family, June opened her own in-home daycare business, and she would continue to run it for more than 50 years, until the time of her passing. She took great pride in having cared for multiple generations of kids for several families.
June was eternally grateful for her three grandsons, Bryan, Jason and Dylan, whom she adored. There was no game that was too crazy, no bedtime too late, no toy too expensive, no snack off limits, and no shortage of pizza or chocolate chip cookies. She loved every single minute she spent with them throughout their childhoods, and she was tremendously proud of the young men they have become.
The constant, enduring thread throughout June’s life was her faith in her Lord. She was a woman of deep Christian belief, and all who knew her saw that she genuinely lived her faith daily, with a true servant’s heart. June had so much love to give – for her own family, for her daycare families, for her church family, for her community. She was very active in her church over the years, participating in many various ministries working with children, helping the homeless and more. She particularly enjoyed sharing her love of flowers by tending her church’s flower gardens.
June’s loving spirit and abiding faith shown through in everything she did. She will be fondly remembered and deeply missed.
June was preceded in death by her parents, Ned Freeland Lane and Jessie Fern Lane; by siblings Harold, Kate, Herb, Bill, Jim, Janet and Frank; and by her former husband and the father of her children, Billie Dean Shockey. June is survived by her three dearly loved sons: Gary Dean Shockey, Michael Bryan Shockey and wife Cammy, and James David Shockey; by three treasured grandsons: Bryan Lyle Shockey, Jason Dean Shockey and Dylan Campbell Shockey; by her beloved siblings: Ann Young, Mary Arnold, Frances Wahl and husband Harley, Bob Lane, Joe Lane and wife Linda; and by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and more extended family.
Obituary courtesy of Heartland Cremation & Burial Society