A beloved campus employee died over the summer.
June Green, Chartwells employee of 16 years, died on July 1 at the age of 67.
Chartwells employee Willie Butler said he knew Green for a long time.
“June started like six months after me, after Christmas break. We’ve been working together ever since; she worked the deli, I worked the grill,” Butler said. “June was a good lady, but you know she was feisty. It would not be June if she wasn’t feisty.”
Butler said Green loved her job.
“Why else would you come work 16 years in the same spot if you didn’t love it? That’s why we come to work, to make sure y’all are taken care of,” Butler said. “Whether she was ill or not, she came to work.”
Butler said Green’s personality shined through in every interaction she had.
“She loved the students. It was like having that auntie around who smacks you when you do wrong, but she doesn’t smack you. She just lets you know you do wrong,” Butler said. “You could ask anybody; June was a good lady.”
Butler said Green became ill in the last four or five years.
Chartwells employess Yolanda Chukwu said Green’s recipes will be immortalized by the Caf.
“She is really missed. Chartwells is making her tuna salad recipe into a menu item, so all Chartwells locations can make it,” Chukwu said.
Chartwells employee Patty Franklin went to Green’s viewing on July 16. Franklin said Green was always doing things for others, with the exception of telling them her secret recipes.
“She’d help you out any way she could, and I helped her out any way I could,” Franklin said. “She made the best sauces. She wouldn’t tell us the secret, just like she didn’t tell us the secret of her tuna, but I’m doing the best I can.”
Franklin said Green always had something funny to say.
“She’d always crack me up,” Franklin said.
Butler said in memory of Miss June, the deli has been named after her. Two sandwiches have been named after her as well. A picture of Green will be hung behind the counter.
“That’s pretty cool, to see her picture right behind Miss June’s deli,” Butler said.
Butler said the students miss Green most of all.
“I know a lot of students miss her now. They don’t get sandwiches made the way she made them; healthy and hearty sandwiches that fill you up for four or five days,” he said.
Jason Gonzalez-Larsen, music theater/vocal performance senior, said Green was constantly encouraging him.
“She always believed in me even though I didn’t know her super well,” Larsen said. “I went in the Caf enough that I could tell her about things. She could tell when I was anxious and she would tell me I would be fine and that I was talented, but she’d never even seen me perform.”
Butler said Green will not be forgotten.
“June was fabulous. You know they say ‘when one life is gone, another is born,’” Butler said. “Somewhere out there a feisty young lady was born with June’s spirit in her. It’s going to be pretty intense when that lady gets a little older.”
On Facebook, many students, alumni and staff shared their stories of Ms. June.
I am so appreciative of her tuna salad recipe and the way she would say ‘tuna, baby?’ every single time I came up to her sandwich stand in the cafeteria. She was hilarious and always had something interesting to share, I wish I had asked her for her pepper relish recipe and went back to see her after I graduated. She was the best and will be very missed.
-Maddie Riggin
She would always make the BIGGEST wraps and tell me ‘I got you baby.’ That made me feel safe.
-AJ Milunas
I would just start walking her direction and she’d already know I wanted hummus and a handful of chips.
-David James Garcia
She would get so mad at me when I wouldn’t visit her for a few days because I’d be in a rush. ‘You’ve been avoiding me or something?!?!?! Oh don’t try to make those excuses!’ And she’d always act like it was a sin for me to ask for no bacon on my wrap.
-Austin Watkins
She got me through my three years at OCU. I had an anxiety about eating by myself and she picked up on it so she told me to sit at the table nearby her station.
-Victoria Silva
Miss June was one of the first people to ever give me the confidence to wear my hair with its natural curl. She also supported me while I recovered from my knee surgery and never failed to ask me ‘how are ya holdin’ up, baby?’ She gave me peace and confidence when I needed it most.
-Vance Klassen
Every day for lunch, I ordered a veggie wrap, no banana peppers. And every time she’d tell me, ‘Now honey, why you avoidin’ those? Them peppers are the best part!’ I never try anything new, that’s why. But here I am, two years later, and I never got a chance to tell her that now every time I order a sandwich, I put those peppers on there. And she was right- they ARE the best part!
-Valerie Cooper
She never failed to bring a smile to my face. After I moved to Cokes she recognized that I came around less and jokingly pestered why I wasn’t coming around more. When I said I cooked for myself more she made sure to remind me that my sandwiches made at home could never beat hers (which is true).”
-Ally Spear
I often frequented her sandwich stand… and she would always say ‘well, damn. Here comes ‘old smiley’…. the same as usual, baby??’ And how could I forget her singing at the top of her lungs ‘CANADA DRYYYYYYYYYYY’ when Marcus Canada would be behind me in line. Her smile, her food and her jalapeño relish will not soon be forgotten.”
-Gavin Drew
She always called me ‘Red’ and never failed to make me laugh. And she would saran-wrap half of my wrap because she knew I wouldn’t finish it all. She gave me the hardest time when I didn’t want my sandwiches toasted because I was in a hurry or told me I would starve when I was vegetarian and didn’t eat meat. Miss June always put one of her chicken strips on my plate because she knew I loved them. She always told me to ‘Breathe, baby’ when I looked overwhelmed and I always had a smile on my face every day I would leave her station. Her laugh, sass, kind soul, and sweet sauce will always be remembered.
-Luke Gilmore
For a while I was a regular at the sandwich line and when she saw me come up she would make my sandwich first before getting the orders of the people in front of me because she already knew what I wanted. She kept me and Trey Baker in stitches. She also would FREQUENTLY try to set me up with other men in the sandwich line and when I would say, ‘I just don’t think they’re my type’ she would say ‘WHY?? What do you mean not your type???’ Also her chipotle mayo was unmatched.
-Celina James
She’d always be like ‘That’s all, baby? You don’t want meat?’ and I’d explain ‘No Ms. June, I’m vegetarian’ and she’d shake her head and say ‘Well you need more than this! You’ll go hungry!’ and proceed to super-stuff my veggie wrap till it was overflowing with love and honey mustard.
-Nathan May
I’m a staff member and have great memories of Ms. June. She was the epitome of a loving black grandmother or aunt who always kept it. I loved talking to her and checking on her when I went to the Caf. She called me Miss.Lee (my husband’s name) for the longest time and I never corrected her. Finally one day she said ‘girl what’s your name?’ I told her and she said it was too hard to say so she kept calling me Miss. Lee. The Caf will never be the same without Ms. June missing from the sandwich line. I also loved her quesadillas with bacon, they were the best!
-Kanika Brown
Miss June had a great memory. I always got tuna salad from her with lettuce, tomato, and pickle. She would see me coming to her station and would often have it ready by the time I reached her. I observed her being a kind and gentle woman to everyone she met. I miss her dearly.
-David McConnell
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