GREENFIELD, MA — Kathleen “June” (Hunter) Steiner, 93, of 15 Meridian Street, Greenfield, died Friday evening, July 27, 2012, at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield following a brief illness.

Born on June 6, 1919 in Topsham, Maine, she was the daughter of Wilson Thomas Hunter and Mabel Blanche (Thorne) Hunter. June grew up in Topsham, Maine, attended the local school and graduated from Brunswick High School in Brunswick, Maine in 1938. After graduation she worked as a housekeeper/ nanny for many local families in the Brunswick area.

June met Louis Steiner, Jr. of Greenfield when he was a Marine stationed at the Brunswick Naval Air Station in Brunswick, Maine. They married in Montague, MA on December 30, 1943 before he was deployed to the South Pacific during World War II. At that time June returned home to Maine to await his return and became a welder at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. She was our own “Rosie the Riveter”. Upon her husband’s return from the war they lived in Kittery, Maine for a time as he finished his service in the Marines. Then they moved to Greenfield where they built a home in the Meadows (250 Plain Road) and raised their five children. He died on September 1982 at the age of 61.

June was employed at the former Greenfield Tap and Die Company for many years, working at both the Sanderson Street and Deerfield Street locations, inspecting taps and dies. She was recently featured in a Greenfield Recorder article about the company and the Arbors Assisted Living facility where she has resided for the past 4 years. The Arbors of Greenfield was built on the site of the former Deerfield Street Tap and Die Company. Previously June worked as a waitress for various restaurants in the Greenfield Area, such as the former Mohawk Restaurant in Greenfield and the former Gables Restaurant in Deerfield.

As a member of the Greenfield Emblem Club for many years, June served in a variety of roles including president. She participated in the club’s activities, especially enjoying traveling to Emblem Club conventions all over the state. She served as a poll worker during voting days, first at Newton School and then at Greenfield High School. She was well known for bringing in her homemade baked beans and date nut bars. For many years she volunteered at the Franklin Medical Center gift shop.

June was an accomplished quilter and ceramic doll maker, sewing quilts and doll clothing on her Singer Featherweight sewing machine. She loved to read and crochet. She took pride in her home, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, spending many memorable visits with each of them. She loved animals surrounding herself with dogs, cats (her Maine Coon cat) and a horse (Cinnamon) which she rode in her younger days.

Four years ago June sold the Steiner family home on Plain Road and moved into the Arbors on Meridian Street in Greenfield. She loved living in the Arbors and became involved in all the activities available, especially enjoying bingo, playing cards with her friends, going on bus trips and exercising each day.

June is survived by her five children: daughters, Kathleen (Jim) O’Shea of Northfield, Karen (Chris) Helbig of Deerfield, and her sons, Frederick (Julie) of South Deerfield, Mark (Diva) of Buffalo, NY and Louis Steiner III of Greenfield.

She leaves behind six grandchildren: Connie O’Shea-Cutler (Phil) of Rutland, MA, Jennifer (Bill) Meunier of Deerfield, Brendon (Kelly) O’Shea of Port Townsend, WA, Michele (Neal) Smiaroski of Deerfield, Timothy (Jamie) O’Shea of Northfield and Ava Steiner of Buffalo, NY. She also leaves seven great-grandchildren: Nick and Ashley Cutler, Sarah and Samantha Meunier, Joel and Nina Smiaroski, Lily O’Shea and Raegan O’Shea.

June will be missed by her many nieces and nephews and all of the friends that she has made over the years, especially by her most recent friends and companions, Marty Sanders, his daughter, Shali, and their extended families.

A graveside service in celebration of her life will be held in the North Meadows Cemetery, Colrain Road, Greenfield MA on Saturday, August 4 at 2pm with Jennifer Bete- Brown CFC (Certified Funeral Celebrant) to officiate. In lieu of flowers, expressions of affection are suggested to the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, P.O. Box 319, South Deerfield, MA 01373- 0319. The McCarthy Funeral Homes of Greenfield and Turners Falls. MA, have been entrusted with the arrangements. Guest book and condolence messages available at www.mccarthyfuneral- homes.com.