June L. Holzer

June L. Holzer, 93, of Bethlehem, went home to the Lord on January 8, 2025. She was the daughter of the late Emily Rappe and the widow of the late Francis P. Holzer, with whom she shared 67 years of marriage.

She was employed by The Bethlehem Steel, as a server in the executive dining room. She later served at Saucon Valley Country Club. As a senior, her many hours of volunteer service with St. Luke's Hospital brought her great joy.

Though born in Bethlehem, June spent part of her childhood in Sebring, Florida. She returned home to marry the boy next door in the summer of 1950. Shortly after they wed, her groom was deployed with the US Army. In her staunch support, she traveled overseas. Back in the States, their young love quickly made way for children. June found a way to balance her roles as mother and friend in the lives of two children. She would correct with a stern look of her brown eyes, yet, in many cases, she would find the many shenanigans of her children's youth laughable. She shared an appreciation of music with her daughter, while her love for baseball was cultivated as she cheered on her son at his many games from little league to college and beyond. June furnished her home with hospitality, happiness, and humor, making it a place her children's friends remember well to this day.

June's love and devotion only grew as she shared in the lives of her grandchildren. She anticipated the summer when she and her husband would host their grandkids for mini vacations, packed with adventure and spoiling. Summer was also defined by shared birthday celebrations and Musikfest. She would gush over her great-grandchildren and would light up each time she learned a new baby would be joining the family.

June delighted in perusing bookstores and card shops, mailing cards and letters to her loved ones, getting lost in a romance or mystery novel, chatting with neighbors while taking walks, watching Lawrence Welk with her husband, pet-sitting, taking an overload of family photos, reading the latest People Magazine, and sipping the occasional Bloody Mary. Her Catholic faith shaped her soul, sustained her through many losses, and supplied her with constant peace and joy, which she, in turn, shared with all those she encountered.

She will be lovingly remembered by her son, Richard Holzer, his wife, Donna, and Donna's daughter, MacKenna; granddaughter, Stefanie (Schartel) Allen, her husband, Gregory, and their five children; grandson, Kevin Schartel; nieces, Nancy Huntington and Joan Christianson; caregivers, Mike and Katie Johnson; and the many extended family and friends who experienced her love. She is preceded in death by her husband, Francis (2018), and her daughter, Susan (2013).

A viewing for family and friends will be held on Saturday, January 18 from 10-11:00 a.m. at St. Annes Catholic Church, 450 Washington Ave, Bethlehem with a Mass of Christian Burial beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will conclude services at Holy Saviour Cemetery.