June F. Messer

June 6, 1923 – January 7, 2019

June F. Messer, 95, passed away peacefully on Monday January 7th in Chico after a brief illness. June was born to John Lukes and Natividad (Nettie) Higuera Lukes, in Vallejo, attending St. Vincent’s grade school and St. Vincent’s High School, as did her sister and brother. She was the only descent of a California Spanish family, the Higueras, who lived in a large Spanish Revival home in central Vallejo until the late 1970s.

She graduated from Dominican College (now Dominican University), retaining an attachment to the college and to her many Dominican girl friends. June moved to Hawaii soon after graduation and had a wonderful, fun-filled life there for several years, again developing many life-long friendships. Until fairly recently, she visited Hawaii yearly. She moved to San Francisco in the 1950’s, meeting the love of her life, Bob, at The Mint on Market St. June taught school for more than thirty years, retiring in the early 1980s from Hillcrest Elementary School in San Francisco.

June took great delight in life and enjoyed traveling, attending the theater and maintaining her friendships with a multitude of friends from all over the United States, who will greatly miss her.

June was preceded in death by her husband of 25 years, Robert W. Messer, her sister, Giovanna Lukes Rendall, and her brother, Joseph Lukes.

Survivors include her nieces, Giovanna Rendall Jackson and Antonia L. Rendall both of Chico, Cathy Rendall Roda of Tucson and Elizabeth Lukes Solomon of Alamo.

Funeral Services will be held at 11AM Monday, January 21, at St. Vincent Catholic Church, 925 Sacramento St., Vallejo. Burial will be at Sunrise Memorial Cemetery, Vallejo.

Donations in June’s memory may be made to St. Vincent Catholic Church, Vallejo, or to Dominican University, San Rafael. Arrangements entrusted to the direction and care of Twin Chapels Mortuary, Vallejo (707) 552-6696. www.TwinChapelsMortuary. com