June Marie Linkhart

June Linkhart was born June Marie Speed on July 19, 1934 in Oklahoma City, OK. She was one of four children born to Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Speed, with the others being her twin sister Joan, brother Johnny and sister Linda. June attended Sapulpa High School and married Bennie Linkhart soon after, giving birth to three sons, Carl, Doug and Terry. The family moved to Arizona when the first two kids were still young, and where June and Bennie spent the rest of their lives. June obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona and taught English at Doolen Junior High, Palo Verde High School and Catalina High School. Several of June’s and Bennie’s relatives moved to Tucson and stayed close over the years, including June’s twin sister, Joan, Joan’s husband, Marion McCaleb, and their daughter, Karen McCaleb, who later married Mike Orlando. Other local relatives include Nita and Tom Balisle, Kelly and David Goodrich, and James and Mercedes Orlando. June is preceded by her husband Bennie, who passed away in December 2017. She is also preceded by son Carl’s partner, Larry Schmidt, and survived by son Doug’s children, Eric, Ruby and Nathan Linkhart and his wife Cristina Sloan and her children, Aidan and Rory Muldoon. June’s hobbies over the years included painting, reading and making tasty foods from the figs, prickly pear cactus and other fruits that grew in their yard. She was a dedicated teacher, mother and wife, and will be missed greatly by her sons, her relatives and her friends.