June Gail Quade, born June 25, 1927, passed away on September 27, 2024, at the age of 97.  She was predeceased by her parents Stanley and Myrtle Norstrom, brothers John Norstrom and Jerry Norstrom, and sister Marilyn Roark.  She is survived by her sister Margaret Barlage (Dick) of Esko, MN; brother Robert Norstrom of Duluth, MN; son Preston Quade (Jean) of Roanoke, VA; daughter Eileen Sanders (Tom) of Richmond, VA: granddaughter Laura Quade (Pedro) of Atlanta, GA; grandson Dr. Patrick Quade (Meryl) and great-grandson Preston Douglas Quade of Melbourne, FL.

June graduated from Denfeld High School in Duluth, MN, and after a time as a telephone operator in Proctor, MN, she moved to Miami with friends.  June recalled her surprise at arriving in warm Miami in an equally warm crepe wool suit.  The sun, warmth and bustle of Miami made her feel “reborn.”  Her intelligence, sense of style and willowy beauty surely kept her from getting lonely.

She met her future husband, career Navy man Herbert Quade, through Herb’s sister Etta who was June’s roommate in Miami.  They dated a few months before Herb proposed marriage, June accepted, and they married in December 1952.  The following October son Preston was born and two years later daughter Eileen completed the family.

June ably rose to the challenge of the peripatetic lifestyle of the family of a career Navy man.  To provide housing stability Herb bought a Spartan mobile home which he towed with the family car from duty station to duty station.  Living in a mobile home and frequently moving instilled in June a talent for keeping what was necessary for a comfortable lifestyle without superfluity, a talent she retained all her life.

The family lived at seven United States duty stations, with two moves coast-to-coast.  The last home was in Norfolk, VA where Herb and June bought the house they lived in for 55 years.

June furnished her home in a contemporary style without clutter.  She was the consummate homemaker with a multitude of talents: interior painting, upholstering, furniture refinishing and painting, cooking, baking, knitting, embroidering and sewing beautiful, perfectly fitted clothing as well as home décor.  For a time she worked repairing sewing machines and knew them inside and out.  She passed her sewing skills to her daughter who was an apt pupil.  She showed her love through the work of her hands.

When vacation time arrived, the family was on the move.  June and Herb bought their first Airstream trailer in 1965 and spent summers and long weekends camping.  After Herb’s retirement from the Navy they upgraded to a larger Airstream and joined the Wally Byam Caravan Club International.  They took yearly club “caravans” to sites all over North America.  June prepared tasty and varied dishes for Caravan shared meals and made costumes and outfits for their themed parties. She enjoyed her “Airstreamer” friends from all over the United States and corresponded with many of them.

After a minor fire made their house uninhabitable in 2021, Eileen facilitated their move to Commonwealth Senior Living at the Ballentine.  At first temporary, the Ballentine became their permanent home as they acclimated themselves to the Ballentine’s caring and hospitable lifestyle.  After Herb’s death in 2023 June enjoyed visits from Patrick, Laura, Preston and Jean.  Eileen and Tom were close enough to visit weekly and share lunch with June after Herb passed away.  While Eileen collected the laundry, checked on June’s supplies, paid bills and processed her mail June enjoyed watching Hallmark Channel movies with Tom.  She appreciated the high fashion, production values, foreign locales and beautiful people.  They amused themselves anticipating the romantic plot twists and identifying the stock characters of the Hallmark formula.  As time passed June increasingly slept and she died peacefully sleeping.  Ballentine staff and residents mourned her passing.  June was a bright light they were sad to see extinguished.

A memorial service and interment of June and Herb’s ashes will be held on June 14, 2025 at Sunrise Funeral Home in Duluth, MN.

The Quade family extends heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Commonwealth Senior Living at the Ballentine and to Trinity Hospice for their care of and affection for June.  The staff’s kind and gentle ministrations during this difficult time made her comfortable.  She never failed to say, “Thank you for your help.”