Alethea June Brinson

Alethea June Brinson June 16, 1926 - October 6, 2016 Alethea June Brinson, beloved mother of Renee Brunk and Dennis Brinson passed away peacefully at Piner’s Nursing Home on October 6th 2016. June was born on June 16th, 1926 in Vallejo, California to parents Jack and Henrietta Castagnoli. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Bill as well as her parents and sister Carol Lou Butler. As a young child growing up in Vallejo, June watched her cousins practice their dance routines and it wasn’t long before she was taking tap and acrobatics as well. She often remarked about taking the bus to San Francisco to further her training . This culminated by her performing at the 1939 San Francisco Worlds Fair . June graduated from Vallejo High School with the Class of ’44 and never missed a class reunion- always enjoying the time spent with former classmates. During her senior year, she attended a dance at the USO and met her future husband Bill. He had been stationed at Mare Island and was boxing for the Navy during WWII. After that first dance, they were inseparable until he was shipped to the South Pacific and later she went off to College of the Pacific. They corresponded often during the war and upon his return, they married soon after. June was a devoted wife and loving mother to Renee and Dennis - always there for them as her family was her number one priority.For many years, she was busy with the traditional roles of wife, mother and home-maker. Family trips to Lake Tahoe were much anticipated as were many other family outings. In the 60’s June took up golf and persuaded Bill to do the same. They had a lot of fun as active members of Green Valley Country Club and in addition to golf, chaired many events there. They enjoyed times with family and friends at their Russian River cabin and were able to do extensive traveling but June’s favorite place was always Hawaii. Every year for thirty years , they were able to travel during Feb. and see the same friends. They also made sure each grandchild joined them in Hawaii as well for their special time there. It was a much anticipated trip and after Bill’s passing, June was able to enjoy ten more trips there with her daughter. A special part of June’s life was the “Cousins Group”. They were a close-knit group of cousins who met regularly for luncheons, Superbowls and were supportive of one another throughout their lifetimes. She was a member of the Sons of Italy, First Presbyterian Church in Vallejo and upon moving to Napa was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church there as well. She was a member of Silver Spray #59 OES as well as Napa Valley Republican Women Federated. In the end, it was family that was the lasting legacy of June and Bill. Because both children lived nearby, there were countless get-togethers for holidays, birthdays, special occasions, sporting events and just routine visits; dinner and a movie was one of her favorites. She had special feelings for her children as well as for her devoted son-in-law and daughter-in-law Sandy and Susan. She is survived by the above as well as grandchildren Nicole Brunk Chandler (Michael) of South Carolina, William Brunk, Matthew Brinson (Erika) Megan Brinson and one great-grandchild William Michael Chandler. She is also survived by devoted nieces Lani Mulick of Mackay, Idaho and Lisa Indrieri of San Francisco as well as numerous cousins. Each had their own special relationship with her. “Meem” short for “Me Ma” was a big part of her grandchildrens’ lives. She was at every event from the time they were born and spent countless hours of special time together. June was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. Till the very end, she had a smile on her face and was so appreciative of everything that was done for her. She was sweet and had a beautiful spirit. We will miss and love her forever. Our family wishes to thank the amazing staff at Piner’s for the wonderful care and support they provided during the final months of June’s life. There were so many special angels who loved her and she loved them as well. In addition, we’d like to thank Dr. Paul Sweigert for the many years of great care he provided. Public visitation will be held 4-7 PM Friday Oct. 28, 2016 at Twin Chapels Mortuary 1100 Tennessee Street Vallejo. A private graveside service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the charity of your choice. Arrangements entrusted to the direction and care of Twin Chapels Mortuary, Vallejo (707) 552-6696. www.TwinChapelsMortuary.com