Obituary of Carole June Chen

CAROLE JUNE CHEN

The fabulous Carole June Chen, age 82, passed away peacefully in her sleep in the late evening hours of September 13, 2024.

This is June's o(r)bit. No, that is not a typo. This is her o(r)bit, not her obit, because much like the sun around which the planets revolve, June lived her life surrounded only by those who revolved around her. Non-revolvers need not apply. This attempt to sum up the essence of June in under one-thousand words contains accounts of her life from some of these people.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica to Chinese immigrants Frank Chung and Beatrice Wong, June was sister to nine siblings and enjoyed a comfortable and privileged childhood in Jamaica. She excelled in school and, after earning her bachelor's degree, taught high school English and Spanish. In one of her bravest moves, she soon left her life in Jamaica to follow her sweetheart, Marsden A. Chen, to the United States where they married and eventually settled in Latham.

June was the perfect embodiment of contradiction. To some, she was sweet. To others, she was all salt and vinegar. And to many, she was a combination of all of these.

Ask any of her surviving siblings — Gloria Tang of New Jersey, Joyce Robertson of Ohio, Patrick Chung of Florida, Peggy Lyn of Ontario, Canada, and Tony Chung of Ontario, Canada — of their fondest memories of June and they will regale you with tales of a feisty, mischievous sister who was "always singing something" and who "maybe … sang in between talking." A lover of words with an exceptional command of language, June also delighted in telling vivid and entertaining stories.

If her husband, Marsden A. Chen, who preceded her in death in 2012, was still alive, he would tell you that June strutted her way into his life, then stole his heart and tucked it into her miniskirt. On his deathbed, he declared that he would marry her and "do it all over again" without hesitation. A loving wife, June doted on her husband and deftly handled all family affairs from finances to fluffing the pillows, leaving no detail unattended to. She provided a faultlessly clean and attractive home that she filled with the aromas of her peerless cooking and baking.

She was also the consummate "Tiger Mom" long before the term was even coined, pushing her children to achieve perfection in all things and instilling a fear of failure in them that still stalks them. But talk to her son, M. Tenn Chen of Green Island, New York, and he'd also tell you that she pampered and indulged him, providing him a childhood and safe zone in which he was permitted to be "puckish without consequence" and freely himself.

Yet, ask her daughter, Sue Moy (Peter) Bergquist of New Mexico, and she'd say her mother was exacting and unforgiving — all salt and vinegar with a dash of sweetness thrown in at scattered intervals to keep her hooked on the too-infrequent high of mother's approval. "Payback's a bitch!" June pointedly informed Sue Moy upon settling into her assisted living apartment in New Mexico three years ago. Her daughter agrees that payback is a bitch and is eternally grateful for the pleasant dementia June experienced in her last months. While June suffered from ever-increasing memory lapses and confusion, she maintained a consistent and dependably pleasant demeanor that gave her daughter the opportunity to experience her mother in a new way.

And, yet, for others, there was never any salt or vinegar. Ask her granddaughter, Melanie "Moy-Moy" Chen of Seattle how she will remember June, and she will recount afternoons playing restaurant with her "Po Po." When open for business, "Epicurean Delights" served "a rapt audience of many dolls, stuffed animals, and two ginormous panda bears." Melanie also fondly remembers looking together through June's "apothecary of tiny drawers of buttons and sewing doodads in the basement and playing dress up with [her grandmother's] costume jewelry and dresses." But these fun times weren't just about play. June used them to teach her cherished granddaughter and, as Melanie grew into a young woman, did not hesitate to provide her gentle and loving life advice.

After her husband passed, June found love again. Some of her fondest memories are of spending afternoons with Herbert Picker of Albany watching television and sharing meals together. She became best friends with Herb. Herb became family and his family welcomed June with open hearts. June's son and daughter are ever-grateful for the love and companionship she found with him and his loved ones.

While June was different things to different people, what is not up for debate is that she was sharp of mind and tongue, and never afraid to let you know what she thought of you. You were either in or out with June and she cast judgment instantly upon meeting someone. She was also haughty, believing she was far superior to anyone else.

Yet, she was, in fact, superior in many things. She had impeccable taste and never settled for anything but the best. Always stylish and fashionable, June turned heads when she walked into a room and knew it. Still able to sport a pair of short shorts well into her seventies, with a figure as good as any teenager sixty years her junior, this former Mary Kay consultant knew how to look good and made sure she did. June walked with an air about her, head held high and red lips and fingernails flashing in her aura.

Her impeccable taste extended to her culinary creations. June was no mere home cook. From multi-layered "Gâteau de Crêpes" birthday cakes to Peking duck, from sinful New York cheesecake to bao buns, her cooking and baking rivaled anything found in high end restaurants. June had the chops to make it as a celebrity chef and prioritized good food over other comforts. Once, upon hearing that a neighbor had purchased a new car, she huffed, "Well, we would rather spend our money on food than a new car," flared her nostrils, and went back to preparing her coq au vin.

While not everyone will agree on who June was, the one defining element of her personality that is not up for debate was her conviction. There were no half-measures here, no in-between. There was nothing mild about her. Bold, mercurial, and full of flare, she was fully committed to living her life in full color and without apology.

June will be buried next to her husband at Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery in Niskayuna on September 26, 2024 following a private prayer service at Dufresne and Cavanaugh Funeral Home.

The family would like to express their deepest appreciation to the staff of The Montecito Santa Fe for the kind and patient care they gave June.