June Lillian Hamilton

June Lillian Simpson Hamilton passed peacefully in her sleep Wednesday, August 10, 2016, in Lakeside, Arizona. She was born June 14, 1928 in Hollywood, California to George Edward Simpson (from Australia) and Elspet (Elsie) Wood Simpson (from Scotland).  June was 88 years old. As a young girl, June loved going to the California beach with her cousins and enjoyed her grandparents, aunts, and uncles. June, at the age of 14 with her parents moved to Whiteriver, AZ on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in 1942.  Her parents bought a trading post and renamed it Whiteriver Trading Co.  Locals call it Simpson Store.   June graduated in 1946 from Saint Joseph Academy High School in Prescott. She attended Pepperdine College in CA, where she graduated with a double major, Education and Psychology. But most important she met the love of her life, Walt Hamilton.  She said, “He was tall, dark and handsome”.  They were married in 1948.   After teaching in the inner-city schools of LA they moved to Whiteriver where June taught school for many years. It was her calling.  June once said “I would not trade our life in Whiteriver for anything. It was the best place to raise a family. Everyone was your family. It did not matter what language you spoke, the color of your skin, what church you went to, if you could read or just had to use a thumb print for identification, it did not matter. Everyone respected each other and if you needed help, someone was right there to help you. It was the prettiest town you have ever seen, not to even mention cottonwood trees by the river, the red cliffs, school pride, and the sound of drums from a traditional Apache dance. But mostly the people. I have always called them family and that fills my heart because I know they call me family, too.”   June & Walt owned & operated Whiteriver Trading Co. (Simpson Store), Whiteriver Garage, and Doubletree Western & Causal Wear (Pinetop). They retired to Pinetop in 1988.  June also sold Avon for 40 years. The best times of her life were spent with her family & friends. She truly loved her family and her Whiteriver Lutheran church family. “Spending more time with my kids and grandkids. I was blessed for many years because all of them lived here on the mountain. Watching my grandkids and great-grandkids grow up is truly a gift”, June said.   June is united in Heaven with her husband Walt (Walter) Hamilton, their daughter Christine June (Hamilton) Novobilski and her parents George and Elsie Simpson. What a joyous day for June.   She is survived by daughters, Elsie (Frank) Norris of Eagar & Colleen (Jerry) Brownlow of Pinetop-Lakeside; Son, Gary (Patsy) of Pinetop-Lakeside, and Step Son; John Hamilton of Louisiana; 7 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, & many nieces, nephews and cousins. A Public Viewing will be held Friday, August 19th from 6:00 to 8:00pm at Owens Livingston Mortuary, 320 N.9th St. Show Low AZ.  Celebration of June’s life will be Saturday, August 20th at 11:00 am at White Mountain Bible Church, 3171 E. Show Low Lake Rd. in Show Low. Burial will be at 2:00 pm in the Lakeside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Meals on Wheels, 301 E. McNeil, Show Low, AZ 85901 For those who have special memories and would like to send a private message or sign an online guest book visit www.owenslivingstonmortuary.com or June’s family at P.O. Box 504, Pinetop, AZ 85935