June P. Mead

June P. Mead (Binghamton, New York), passed away in her home on August 8, 2023. June is predeceased by her beloved husband and best friend, Thomas Bowers. She is survived by her daughter Katherine (Katie) Halley Bowers (Tyler Poole), stepson Sean Bowers (Rebecca), stepson Peter Bowers, brother Lars P. Mead (Carrie Hanson), stepmother Solveig Mead, and grandchildren Nathan, Gavin, Noah, and Julian. She was, and is, deeply loved by all of us. 

June’s family extends far beyond her direct relatives. Known for her kind, loving, and extremely generous heart, June was a “second mom” to many in the Binghamton community and beyond. She helped countless people to pursue their dreams and worked tirelessly to create opportunities for children and families to succeed. She loved her work, and she loved all of the participants and educators she worked with so much. 

June was born in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, to Richard and Julia (Marvin) Mead. She moved to New York at six-years-old, and went on to attend Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson, New York. She grew up loving the ocean, and won so many swimming competitions that, as a young child, she wondered if she might be part fish (she wasn’t, of course, just a really great swimmer who always believed in magic). At 18, she moved briefly to Miami, FL but, horrified by the endless sunny days, returned to New York where she spent several snowy years at Syracuse University. The light of summer, for June, could only really be enjoyed after the cold winter nights. At Syracuse, June lived with a crew of artists, misfits, and best friends at Barkley Hall, and she talked fondly about their adventures together for the rest of her life.  

She majored in journalism and moved to Boston, then New York, pursuing a career in radio. Her favorite interview she conducted was in the 1970’s with a young Broadway upstart named Andrew Lloyd Webber.

After moving to Binghamton, she was employed for many years at Singer-Link. The daughter of a Pam Am pilot, and a licensed pilot herself, she spent her time there working on the pilot training program.

In the 1990’s, she found her true passion when she decided to pursue her Ph.D. at Cornell University, with a focus in youth program evaluation. This led her to work locally and across New York State with Cornell Cooperative Extension, and nationally with CYFAR (Children, Youth, and Families at Risk). June founded numerous youth-serving programs in Binghamton, Rochester, Albany, Syracuse, and more, including but not limited to CITY Project (Community Improvement Through Youth), CITIZEN U, RootED and 4-H UNITY. RootED and 4-H UNITY continue to serve and empower children in the Binghamton and Union-Endicott school districts today. Through these programs, June impacted countless children and families in Broome County and beyond, and she kept in close contact with many of the participants and educators who made these programs so special. 

June’s love and belief in community were boundless, and her family would love to honor that with you.

A celebration of life will be held for June at 1pm on September 17, 2023 at the Ag Center at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County, 840 Front St, Binghamton, NY 13905. June has left a tremendous legacy, and her family will be continuing her tireless work to support young people. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to paypal.me/JuneMeadFund.

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