Guidance counselor, traveler, reader

June Huston Frink died peacefully on December 22, 2015 at the Taylor House at Mt. San Antonio Gardens. She had just celebrated her 99th birthday.

She was born in San Dimas on October 16, 1916. She graduated from Berkeley in 1938, following in the footsteps of her older sister Evelyn Huston, and later earned a Master of Arts from Claremont Graduate School.

While teaching high school English in Oceanside, June met her future husband Lester Frink, who was teaching journalism and Spanish at Oceanside-Carlsbad Junior College, now MiraCosta College. In 1941 she and Les, who was the love of her life, were married.

During World War II, Mr. Frink served in Brazil in the Intelligence Service of the US Army Air Corps. After the war, he took a position at Santa Monica College where he taught Spanish and Latin American history. June became a guidance counselor at Santa Monica High School and served in this capacity for 26 years. They built their home and lived in Pacific Palisades for 43 years.

For many years, they shared a consuming interest in photography and travel, using every vacation as an opportunity to explore various parts of the world and keep a photographic record of their experiences. After her husband’s death in 1986, Mrs. Frink remained in their Pacific Palisades home until coming to the Gardens in 1994 where she served as chair of the Visual Aid Committee. She also received certification from the Library of Congress as a Braille transcriber.

Her life at the Gardens was a happy one. She made many friends, who shared her interest in traveling. Her love for reading was well-known among family and friends. Her niece, Diane Turner, remembers June having three or four books on her end table that she was reading at the same time. She didn’t need glasses to read! She made friends with the staff, encouraging them in their academic pursuits. She sent Christmas cards to her friends every year, never wanting to remove anyone from her long list.

She was preceded in death by her sisters, Evelyn Huston and Ida Huston Nagel, and her brother Leonard Huston. She is survived by her nieces Janet Hyuck, JoAnn Timmons, Cathy Bellow and Diane Turner, her nephews John and Craig Huston and many great- and great-great nieces and nephews.

According to her wishes, there was no memorial service. To honor her life, donations may be made to the Scholarship Fund at Mt. San Antonio Gardens, 900 E. Harrison Ave., Pomona, CA  91767.