Obituary of June S. Robinson
June (Naomi) Simon Robinson, 95, died in Morristown after a short illness on Tuesday morning, February 11, 2025. June was born in Passaic, NJ on June 18, 1929, to Hilda Naomi Simon (née Sawyer) and her husband, Capt. Isador David Simon. She was very close with her grandmother, Mary Sawyer (née Albury), who lived with them during her childhood and fostered her love of family. June made lifelong friends as a proud 1947 graduate of Rutherford High School, and in 1951, she earned her A.B. at Bucknell University, where she participated in the choir and the Christian Association while studying psychology and sociology. Her father called the day she graduated from Bucknell one of the proudest days of his life.
After returning to New Jersey, June met her future husband, Tom (Dudley Bell Robinson Jr.), in a local church group. They married in Rutherford on April 18, 1953, and moved to Madison shortly thereafter; they were together for 39 years. While Tom worked at Bell Labs, June became a special education teacher in Morristown, and in 1962, she was named the first director of the Madison Cooperative Nursery School. She ran "the Co-Op" for the rest of her career before retiring from full-time work in 1983, doting on all the kids who came through with the same affection that she had for her own children.
Faith was deeply important to June, and she was a longtime member of the Madison United Methodist Church, where she also volunteered. She was an avid reader, swam at the local YMCA, assisted the elderly through Meals on Wheels, went to the Shakespeare Festival and shows at the Paper Mill Playhouse, always enjoyed traveling with friends and family, and loved her many cats from over the years. June moved to Chatham after Tom passed away in 1992, but remained a familiar face in Madison as a highly active figure in the growing lives of her grandchildren, just as her own grandma had been for her. For the last six years, she was a popular resident of Fellowship Village in Basking Ridge.
In addition to her husband and parents, June was predeceased by her son, David Robinson, and her brother and his wife, Clayt and Vida Simon. She is survived by her daughter, Cindy Hansen (Clay); her granddaughter, Krissy Mihail (Jon); her grandson, Andrew Mearns (Ali); her great-grandchildren, Jonah and Rachel Mihail (and baby Mearns due in March); her niece, Pat Weidknecht (Robert); and her great-niece, Andrea Reeves (Doug).
June leaves behind a wonderful legacy of generosity and joy. Her radiant smile will not soon be forgotten. The family sends appreciation to Fellowship Village and Morristown Medical Center for their care. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Keri-Lozito Funeral Home in Lincoln Park, NJ. Memorial donations may be made to Fellowship Village Foundation https://fellowshiplifeinc.org/foundation/donate/ or the charity of your choice.