The Holistic Pitstop
The Holistic Pitstop
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In Memory ofJune Woods
In Memory ofJune Woods
Reiki Master & Teacher
and my Reiki Mum!
A Reiki Masters' Gathering
June initiated me to my 2nd Degree and Master/Teacher Degree of the Usui System of Natural Healing i.e. Reiki and was my Friend and a Mentor to me for over 20 years and a Reiki Granny to my students!
It is with sadness that I tell of her passing on Saturday 14th March 2015 She would have been 85 years old in May.
The Celebration and Green Burial Ceremony took place at the Wilkes Wood Green Burial Ground by the Findhorn Foundation on Tuesday 24th March 2015
The day was sunny, and there was a nip in the air. We started by meeting for a warm drink in the Sunshine Room in the new housing cluster called East Whins, at the top of the runway of the Foundation.
Many had brought flowers, some filled vases in the Sunshine Room for our return, while others were taken to be placed on her coffin later.
Just before noon June arrived in her eco wicker coffin, resting on a simple wooden trailer which would be drawn through the woods by family and friends to the burial site.
At 12 noon the procession started the journey to take June to be laid to rest. Before we left we were offered a selection of Junes colourful scarves so that we could place them on her wicker coffin.
The Threshold Choir sang to welcome us and guide us all to the graveside.
Will Russell, an Interfaith Minister, led the ceremony and spoke of June's life. Family members contributed and friends were also given the opportunity to say a few words if they so chose.
June's Family are:
Her son Mark, his wife Sue and granddaughters Lauren and Hayley.
Her other son Robert and wife Debbie and granddaughter Samantha. Granddaughters Jasmine and Charlotte were not able to attend, but sent messages.
Wendy, June's daughter with granddaughter Emily and husband Rob, and great-granddaughters Erin and Isla, also granddaughter Sophie with husband Chris and great grandson Ollie.
Also June's nephew Geoff, son of her brother John and wife Avril, who along with niece Liza were not able to attend.
Jenny Smith (in the orange jacket) sang a chant that she had chanted to June previously - it was clear and moving.
Jenny was accompanied by Corrie, complete with scarf!
We were offered the opportunity to take a scarf from the coffin as a keepsake of June. Single flowers were placed on the coffin by several people, then June was lowered into the ground to Rest in Peace, and to return to nature.
Syncronistically as Will said the Final Words several planes flew over - as though in a flypast. Wonderful!
FINAL WORDS- Spoken by Will
May all the love and honouring and tributes to June be received by her now as a wave of love and healing. I start to bring our ceremony to a close now.
Dear June, Today we have honoured you as a remarkable woman, a mum, nanny and great nanny, a nanny in law, wife and friend – whatever you were to each of us one thing is clear – you were, are and always will be, well loved.You were here for a time with us. You blossomed and you bloomed as you journeyed through life’s joys and challenges.Like your friends the trees you were weathered - at times blown by wind and storm, warmed by the sun, frozen by snow, nourished by the earth, washed and fed by rain And though our human hearts are sad that you are gone and we feel our loss and miss you, still we stand strong and rooted here together, grounded in the legacy of your love and life and the memories of all we shared.We have laid your earthly body to rest, to embrace the great cycle of the seasons. Know how loved you are; Know how appreciated you are. Be free now June, be at peace, all is well. Be as one with the love and light of Life’s Longing for Itself.Good bye.
A pail of soil was there for those who wished to scatter a handful onto her coffin in its resting place.
The choir sang again, and we left to wander reflectively through the woods to return to the Sunshine Room for some very yummy soups made by Wendy and some equally delicious cakes.
More lovely words were said about June, and stories exchanged. Thanks were given to Wendy, from her family, for her amazing care and dedication to June. Also thanks to the Carers who had helped in the final months of June's life.
There was a book of memories that we could write in, and also boards with pictures of June from childhood through to her later years.
It was a truly beautiful and fitting way to pay tribute to the amazing woman that was June Woods and who I am sure lives on in Spirit, and in our hearts.
A mini Biography of June Woods
by her son Mark Springett
30 May 1930 to 14 March 2015
Born in Chelmsford to Gordon and Ivy Woods.
She started life in the heart of Chelmsford and lived seven doors down from Browns Wood yard, which still exists as a builders timber yard today. She talked about how she and a friend used to accompany the horse drawn barges down the river to Maldon and how they used to help prepare the horses at carnival, polishing the brasses and leather fittings and making paper flowers and streamers for the horses to wear. She also talked about how the children would dress up in fancy dress and she could also remember dressing as a jar of marmalade on one of these occasions.
At about two years old a baby sister was born, Vera unfortunately died from the effects of whooping cough after about 18 months.
After another two years her Brother John Henry was born. Before the war they moved onto a relatively new estate in Springfield which had a bigger garden and somewhere for her Dad to grow lots of vegetables. As well as her Dads love of gardening she also talked about her mothers love of dressmaking and during her early years June trained in Ballet & Dance and proudly talked about how she could do the splits, she talked about the costumes her mother used to make and how they used to perform at old peoples homes and other small concerts.
War started when June was 9 years old around the time her brother John had just started school, she remembered her Dad and neighbours building an air raid shelter in the garden, which she refused to go down at times there as she had a fear of spiders and caterpillars, later on they received one of the air raid shelters for the front room in which she and her brother would sleep in every night.
June went to school just the other side of town at Moulsham High School which was a brand new school and one of and still is one of the largest schools in Essex, she talked about a boy named Roy and how they used to meet at playtime and had to talk through the playground fence as it was a segregated school for boys and girls.
As time moved on her friendship with Roy moved on from the playground and they started stepping out together. They enjoyed many functions and dances until eventually deciding to get married.
June & Roy got married on the 25th July 1953 at All Saints Church in Springfield, the family started with Wendy in Sept 1954, then Robert (Bob) in April 1957 followed finally with Mark in April 1962. Married life started in Woodham Mortimer located between Chelmsford and Maldon where Roy had a job in the world of farming, that world of farming eventually moved them to Scotland and near Dumfries where the spectacular Dumfries Castle was practically in their back garden.
June & Roy unfortunately separated in the late 1960's, June returned to Essex and started to make a life back in Chelmsford back where she was born. June had various jobs including a bakery where she enjoyed sampling the cakes and taking some home for the children.
Wendy and Bob left home in the 70's, Wendy leaving for university and Bob the RAF. With Mark just left at home, June had a little more time on her hands to socialise and eventually she met Ken. Her relationship with Ken developed to the point where they where married in 1979. She returned to Scotland on holiday with Ken and fell back in love with the Scotland she had left all those years before.
June and Ken decided to part some years later in the mid 1980's and following Marks wedding, she decided that she wanted to return back to the Scotland she had rediscovered and to new friends and a new community where she could develop her new Reiki healing skills.
One of June's loves was her garden and the birds that she encouraged to visit. Never could one accuse June of letting the birds go hungry, in fact I wonder how they ever took off after feasting at her numerous bird tables.
June's nature was to nurture and her love and spiritual guidance given out to those she encountered was given without judgement or opinion, her wisdom given with just a few words, or just the silent but reassuring hand on your shoulder.
Bless You and Thank You June.
LINKS:
To contact Will Russell - Interfaith Minister
There is more to come, so please do call back.
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