June Sabel, June 14, 1934 – November 30, 2024 On November 30, 2024, at age 90, June Sabel died peacefully at home in Sonoma, surrounded by family. She lived a wonderfully full life of family and adventure. June Sabel (nee Irene June Butters) was born in Chicago, Illinois to Gertrude and Otto Butters. She was their only child. When June was three years old, the family moved by rail to San Francisco. Having an independent spirit from a young age, June had fond memories of riding her bike by herself all over the Taraval Street area, her parents having no idea how far she went. Her father’s work took them to San Jose and Oakland. June joined Girl Scouts (she remained a member for 83 years) and took violin lessons. After high school, June began her college career at San Francisco State College. Two years later she transferred to San Jose State College where she studied education and was first chair violinist in the college orchestra. Upon graduating with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in Music, June became a fourth grade teacher in Oakland. The apartment building where June lived had a swimming pool. She noticed a good-looking young man who was teaching himself to do a backflip from the diving board. June learned through mutual friends that Herb was an eligible bachelor. Herb Sabel was a mechanical engineer who loved dancing, the outdoors and classical music – a perfect match. The young couple skied and hiked together and attended music performances. They married in 1959. By 1965 they were the parents of two sons and a daughter. June started a home-based preschool, volunteered as a Cub Scout den mother and as a Girl Scout co-leader. In the summertime the family went in their station wagon on many camping trips during which June loved having the opportunity to relax in a camp chair outside the tent and read a long novel. In the seventies, June was Herb’s greatest supporter as he established his business Sabel Engineering Corporation. The company grew and it was decided to move the business and the family to Sonoma in 1975. June took graduate classes in Business Management at Sonoma State University in order to provide guidance to Sabel Engineering for which she held the role of Vice President. Whenever Sabel Engineering machines were demonstrated at packaging machinery expositions, June helped to run the machinery and represent the company to potential clients. Admired as a consummate hostess, June loved putting on parties, gatherings, and fundraising events. She sometimes used her home as the venue, transforming it into a Parisian cafe or a Moroccan lounge with decor, live music, and delicious food. She loved her well-equipped kitchen and took delight in preparing challenging dishes from around the world. Wherever she went and whatever she was doing, it was obvious that June had a great love for fashion. She appreciated well-made clothing and had an eye for quality, whether she was getting dressed for a special occasion or just spending time outdoors. Even when camping, she somehow managed to look put-together. June had a tender heart for all animals but she was especially fond of cats. Over the decades she had many, including Misty, Pixel, Ashley, Bête Noire, Fluffy Stuff, Yippy, Little Boy, Sunshine, and Dottie Spotty. She never sought out a cat – each one came to her. She took in feral kittens, abandoned house cats, and injured strays, and loved each one. Luckily, June also loved to read, so spending an evening with a cat on her lap was her idea of contentment. June and Herb were lifelong members of The Sierra Club. They continued hiking, skiing, backpacking, and camping into their eighties. They traveled extensively for business and pleasure all over the globe, backpacking in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy and experiencing the steppes of Mongolia. June loved to meet new people and would strike up a conversation with anyone. She felt passionate that interacting with people of different cultures gave her a wider perspective and deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all people. To many of us in Sonoma Valley, June will be most remembered as a leader, volunteer, supporter, and valued fundraiser of several nonprofits including: American Association of University Women, Soroptimist International Sonoma, Sonoma Community Center, Symphony Sonoma, Sonoma Valley Chorale, Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, Friends of the Sonoma Library, and others. She served as board president for several of these organizations and was especially proud to be the first president of Vintage House. Beyond Sonoma, she volunteered for 12 years for the Konocti Girl Scout Council and served two terms as president of the State Lobbying Board for Girl Scouts of America. June is survived by son Mark; daughter Jill and her husband Jim; son John and his wife Jennifer; and four grandchildren: Adrienne, Gregory, Brisa, and Elsie. No services will be held. The family thanks Earth for their care in composting June’s remains which will be used to nurture a forest and give new life to each of her children’s gardens.