June van den Noort RN, a dear friend for over 40 years, dedicated her energies to the healing profession of hospice care. June was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and nurse who was always there to lend a helping hand and give support in times of vulnerability, grief and hardship and in times of joy, celebration and thanksgiving.

Erie’s reflection on Monday invited us to remember someone who has died and pay tribute to them. This reflection honors my friend June who passed from this earthly realm a few months ago. However, a sentence turned into this reflection and offers the slightest glimpse into the life of a woman who lived a full life, encompassing joys as well as sorrows. June overcame adversity with great courage and strength of character.

For those who knew her, June was an inspiration in word and deed. She had a heart for hospice care and in the early 80's, was educating clinicians in providing holistic end of life care, expert pain and symptom management, and the art of healing. She shared sacred moments through telling stories inclusive of some of life's most poignant, difficult, yet valued experiences in hospice.  June truly lived a nursing as a calling, mingling art and science.  Her empathetic presence was most prfound in times when the veil thinned between this world and the spiritual realm. She was gifted in cultivating sacred moments that linger beautiful remembrances.

June worked tirelessly and held fast to her New England values of hard work and a life of service. June was there for Stan and Stan for June. Stan would help with the hospice fundraisers like going to the swap meet early Saturday morning to set up the tent and sell items to raise money for the program and my husband and I volunteered to help support the cause.

Fast forward to the mid 90's, I called June out of the blue, to ask her to consider joining our organization to start up our hospice program. I will always be grateful to June for coming out of retirement in respond to this call. She worked night and day to help build the program, achieve accreditation and develop a team of highly skilled caregivers to respond to the needs of our community. The program has grown to serve thousands of families through the years.

I’ve heard it said that behind every great man there is a woman and this was true of June. The love of her life was her husband Stanley a renowned neurologist and a great humanitarian who devoted his life to helping thousands of patients who suffered from multiple sclerosis. His patients cherished him as their doctor as evidenced in abundant expressions of gratitude for his caring and expert care. Together June and Stan were an incredible force for good and made a difference in the world for so, so many people!  Not only in the lives of patients and families but also in the lives of dedicated caregivers who cared for patients.

I too was the recipient of an incredible act of kindness from the van den Noorts that I will never forget. The situation involved the birth of my son. I went through natural child birth and all was fine until a few hours later when I developed excruciating nerve pain whenever I moved. Preliminary testing did not show anything and I was discharged from the hospital after a few days. The pain continued without any diagnosis. After 6 weeks of intense suffering, June called and said, “Would you like Staley to come and check on you?  “I had never met the man and I mistakenly thought she said he was a urologist. A bit confused by that, I agreed, desperate to get some relief. Stan showed up at our home on a Saturday morning with peaches in hand and his little black medical bag. He was so kind and unassuming and immediately put me at ease. He examined me and quickly pinpointed the area and possible causes of the issue. He set me up with an ortho specialist and with additional testing they diagnosed a bone infection. I responded to treatment with antibiotics and I recovered over a three-month period, progressing from a walker, to a cane and then regained full mobility. I am forever grateful to June and Stan for their love, support and medical expertise.

When Stan experienced a major medical event and was in ICU, I would go in the evenings to provide June some respite as she faithfully kept vigil at his bedside. At the time, it was unclear as to Stans level of awareness. However, I would speak to him in what I hoped was in a comforting way and pray the rosary. One night, as I sat praying with him, he reached out and kissed my hand. It was such a tender moment and one I will never forget.

In closing, I am grateful to June for her enduring friendship throughout the years. I miss her and I cherish all the wonderful experiences we shared as well as the difficult times in which we there for each other.

Thank you for this opportunity to pay tribute to my beloved friend June.

Liz Sorensen Wessel
Photo of June + Liz, Feb 2023