1924-2013

AUBURN — June F. (Gillis) Brainerd, 89, died peacefully at Bolster Heights Residential Care Center in Auburn on July 13, after a brief illness. She was the wife of Irving Brainerd.

Born in Brockton, Mass., on June 27, 1924, a daughter of the late Harry and Lillian (Lucey) Gillis, she was educated in Plymouth, Mass., and was a graduate of Plymouth High School’s class of 1942, the Wellesley Convalescent Hospital in 1944 and received her R.N. from Brockton Hospital.

June worked at Brockton Hospital in Brockton, Mass., Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, Mass., as well as hospitals in California and Washington, D.C. She also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

She lived in Silver Springs, Md., Rehoboth Beach, Del., and recently moved to Auburn. June enjoyed the beach, the Washington Redskins, playing cribbage, and spending time with her family and friends.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her sister, Margaret Zaniboni, of Plymouth, Mass.; and her nieces and nephews, David Zaniboni, Maryann Rogers, Barbara Pimental, and Patrick, Steven and James William Gillis.

She was predeceased by her brother, J. Walter Gillis; and niece, Elizabeth Gillis.

Irving and his nephew, Bob, wish to give a special thanks to Lucy Sturmfelz, a dear family friend, for her care and devotion to June and Irving while they resided in Delaware, as well as the healthcare providers at Bolster Heights and Beacon Hospice for providing a good quality of life for her in her final months.

You are invited to share your thoughts, condolences and fond memories of June through her online guestbook at www.thefortingroupauburn.com.


Share your condolences, kind words and remembrances below. You must be logged into the website to comment. Subscribers, please login. Not a subscriber? Register to comment for free or subscribe to support our work.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.