June Szirotny

June Skye Szirotny, widowed, died in her sleep at 6:42 am on Thursday, November 23, 2023 at Amber Glen Alzheimer's Special Care Center, Urbana.  

June was born in Riverdale, Illinois in 1929, the daughter of Andrew and Esther (Pearce) Skye.  She received a bachelor's (1950) and a master's (1951) degree in English from the University of Michigan, and received a Ph.D. (1966) in English from Stanford University.

She worked as an instructor of English at the University of Missouri at Columbia, Stanford University, and Queens College of The City University of New York, before becoming an assistant professor at the University of Illinois in 1968.  Her scholarship focused on the novels of George Eliot in published articles, as well as the book: "George Eliot's Feminism: The Right to Rebellion" (2015).

June was passionate about the humanity of dogs and the sin of child support.

Funeral services will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at The Chapel of Saint John the Divine, 1011 S. Wright St., Champaign. The Rev. Sean Ferrell will officiate. Private burial will be in Grandview Memorial Gardens, Champaign. Owens Funeral Home, 101 N. Elm St., Champaign, is in charge of arrangements

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Champaign County Humane Society.

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