June Taylor Spooner

1937-2023

Dr. June Taylor Spooner passed away on February 9 at East Alabama Medical Center following an extended illness.

Dr. Spooner was born June Dale Taylor on June 15, 1937 in Waycross, Ga. She graduated from Waycross High School, and from the University of Georgia in 1958 – the same year that she married her sweetheart, Joe L Spooner. She taught high school English in Cumming and Canton, Ga and lived in Soperton, Ga before moving to Auburn with her young family in 1967. She earned an MS – Elementary Education (1972) and a PhD in Education Administration (1976) from Auburn University at a time when few women accomplished that level of education.

Dr. Spooner became the principal of Dean Road Elementary School in 1974 and served until her retirement in 1994. During her tenure, Dean Road was named a "Blue Ribbon School" and expanded from grades 1-3 to grades 1-4. In addition to impacting the lives of hundreds of students and teachers, she was very active in the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), serving on the Board of Directors (1985-89), as Member (1983-86) and Chairman (1988-89) of the National Standards Committee, as Zone IV Director (1986-89), and as a National Fellow with the NAESP and Walt Disney World, William and Mary College, and the University of Washington. Dr Spooner was also active in the Alabama Association of Elementary School Administrators, Southeastern Council and Alabama Council of School Administrators, Phi Delta Kappa, and Phi Kappa Phi. She served as a site visitor for the US Dept of Education's Elementary School Recognition Program in 1986 and in 1987 she represented the US Department of State and the NAESP at the European Council of International Schools Annual Conference in Paris. She served on the National Advisory Council for Scholastic 1988-92. In 1991 she was named to the Alabama Educational Leadership Hall of Fame.

Over her almost 56 years in Auburn, Dr. Spooner was an active member and deacon of the Auburn First Baptist Church and the Seeker's Sunday School class. She enjoyed the Garden Club, Bridge Club, and (as a fan of history and genealogy) was a member of the DAR (Daughters of the Am Revolution), UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy), and Auburn Heritage Club. She was a Life Member of the Auburn Woman's Club. With her husband, Joe, she found friends and shared interests of antique automobiles and scooters in the East Alabama Old Car Club, the River Cities Model "A" Ford Club, and the Central Alabama Model "A" Ford Club. They were also active members of the Farmville Community Club.

June Taylor Spooner was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Pauline Taylor, siblings Charles Harold Taylor of Virginia, Wilbur Taylor of Suwanee, GA, and Kay Taylor Odum of Lawrenceville, GA, and her daughter, Cynthia (Cindi) Spooner Hankes of Auburn. She is survived by her husband, Joe Spooner of Auburn, daughter and son-in law Victoria and Frank Jordan of Atlanta, son-in-law Joe Hankes of Birmingham, and five grandchildren: Gabe (Deborah) Hankes, Taylor Jordan, Eben Jordan, Mallie Hankes, and Audrey Jordan.

Visitation will be Monday, February 13, from 12:30-1:45PM followed by the service at 2:00PM at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home in Opelika. The family will hold a private graveside service at Memorial Park Cemetery in Auburn.

Frederick-Dean Funeral Home is handling all arrangements.