BRYANT — June Worsham Standley,
93, of Bryant, passed away peacefully on Saturday May 27th, 2023 with all three of her children by her side. She and her beloved twin brother Gene were born November 9, 1929 in Centerville, Ark., the middle children of Aubrey and Nannie Lasater Worsham. She attended school in Yell County, where her mother was a church pianist and her grandfather was the county doctor. As an adult, she fondly recalled life on her family’s farm. Following her father’s untimely death, her mother moved the family to Russellville where June graduated valedictorian from Russellville High School, with her twin graduating salutatorian. She studied English at Arkansas Tech where she met Robert Elson “Blackie” Standley, a handsome WWII Naval veteran. They were married on June 2, 1949 and welcomed their son Gary two years later. The couple then moved to Wichita, Kan., where their daughters Nancy and Kathy were born. June was the pastor’s executive secretary at East Heights United Methodist Church and Blackie taught American History at Curtis Junior High School. In 1975 the family moved to Conway, Ark., where the children attended UCA and June served as the pastor’s executive secretary at First United Methodist Church. Later, June managed her brother’s law office and went on to retire from the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
While June was proud of her academic and professional accomplishments, her greatest source of joy was her family. She was a natural caregiver from a young age, nurturing her little sister and later caring for her husband and mother in their final years. She was deeply involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren and took pride in her brothers’ successful careers. June was intelligent and charming with an infectious laugh. She loved flowers, coffee, and music, and passed her quick wit and passion for reading on to her children and grandchildren. In her later years she traveled extensively with her siblings and children, everywhere from Petit Jean Mountain to the Mediterranean Sea.
June will be deeply missed by her children Gary Standley of Benton, Ark., Nancy (Ed) Phillips of Bryant, Ark., and Kathy (James) West of Cape Girardeau, Mo.; her 101-year-old brother Dr. Gordon Worsham, of Dallas, Texas, sister Ruth Emmert of Roswell, Ga., and sister-in-law Lu McCoy of Little Rock, Ark.; her grandchildren Nicole (Aaron) Knox, Julianna West, and Jared (Maddie) West; two great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her twin brother.
June’s family is deeply grateful to her caregiver and cherished friend of eight years, Merle Cushman, and the nurses and staff of Saline Memorial Hospice, who were unfailingly kind and comforting to both June and her family.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Ashby’s.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at Ashby Funeral Home Chapel. Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Thursday At New Hope Cemetery in Dardanelle, Ark.
Online guest book at www.ashbyfuneralhome.com