June Nafis

June C. Nafis, 98, resident of Kendal at Ithaca, formerly of Greenlawn, NY, died June 23, 2026. She was born in Huntington, NY, daughter of Charles William Christiansen and Irene Langermann and sister of Robert Christiansen, all deceased. She graduated from South Huntington High School on Long Island in 1945 and SUNY Oneonta Teachers College in 1949. She taught first grade at Davison Ave School in Malverne, NY, from 1949 to1954 and at Centerport School District from 1954 to 1955.

She married in 1951 and was predeceased by husband Robert A. Nafis of Lynbrook, NY, after 69 years of marriage. She is survived by daughter Dian Nafis (John Reed) of Corvallis, OR; son Douglas (Janice) of Mt. Prospect, IL; and son Christopher (Sue Neely) of Vischer Ferry, NY; granddaughters Danielle Reed, Debra and Heidi Nafis (Jesse), and Sarah, Rachel (Ryan Archer), Kathryn, Laura Nafis, Anic Neely (Quique Cotto), and Erin (Travis Hadcock); and great granddaughter Shea.

June was a member of Centerport United Methodist Church from 1951 to 1996 (Woman Society member and president); founder, president, and board member of Greenlawn-Centerport Historic Association; member of Centerport Garden Club; and MIT Sloan program alumna, class of ’65, with husband Bob.

June and Bob retired to Ithaca, NY, in 1996, where they were founding residents of Kendal at Ithaca. June joined the Kendal Artist and Craft groups and was chair of “Kendal Knit for Kids,” which produced over 3000 sweaters from 10 knitters, and the Kendal “ABC (At Risk Babies, Children) Quilt” group, for which she made over 50 children’s quilts. She was a contributor to the Kendal Breeze Newsletter and organized Kendal Windows Displays from 1996 to 2017. She was a patient Cornell “soccer widow” and team host from 1996 to 2014, while husband Bob assisted the Cornell Women’s Soccer Team. She was a member of St. Paul’s Methodist Church since 1996.

June was a gifted and prolific hand quilter, creating more than 30 full-size quilts for every major family occasion and various fundraisers. For one pair of quilts, she travelled to all 50 states to acquire materials.

Funeral plans will be private with burial at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Ithaca, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Ithaca, NY, and the Kendal at Ithaca Employees Futures Scholarship Fund.