Hadley, MA – June Rebecca Irey Guild passed away on April 23, 2026, in Hadley, MA with her children by her side. She was born on September 12, 1931, in New Brunswick, New Jersey to parents Kenneth Monroe Irey and Katherine Willard Burgett Irey.
June lived most of her life in Western Massachusetts. She grew up in Springfield and attended Classical High School where she met and later married Lawrence Curtis Guild. They moved to Longmeadow to raise their six children and restore an old colonial home on Longmeadow Street. June completed her BA in education at UMass Amherst in 1972.
In 1989 June bought a blueberry farm in Heath and moved to a beautiful hilltop home to try farming. After 10 years in Heath, she moved to Amherst to begin her retirement. During her time in Amherst, she was an enthusiastic student at Learning in Retirement, a docent at Historic Deerfield and an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst.
Over the years June worked as an accountant, bookkeeper, office manager and town clerk. She was very capable with advanced numerical, compositional and organizational skills. She was an avid gardener and family genealogist. She was proud to be a Mayflower descendant. She donated many primary documents from the Burgett and Irey family history to the University of Massachusetts archives in Amherst.
June was a wonderful and very busy mother of six children. We have very fond memories of our childhood filled with adventures and visits to historic places, all with a calm and kind mom.
June spent her last decade in memory care where her cheerful and sweet demeanor was a joy for all. She will be missed by her family and all those she knew. Her beautiful smile and happy phrase, “Aren’t you wonderful!”, will continue to warm our hearts.
She is survived by her six children, Mitch Guild (Judi), Katherine Guild (Bob), Cynthia Guild (John), Larry Guild (Darcy), Laura Mellick (George) and Martha Guild, 15 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, 3 nieces, and her sister-in-law Marion Irey. She was predeceased by her parents, her devoted partner Joel Halpern and her younger brother, Richard Kenneth Irey.
June’s family wish to thank those who cared for her over the years: Rockridge Gardens, Hadley Pointe, Hospice staff and Lisa Sansouci.
A gathering to remember June will be held at Wildwood Cemetery in Amherst June 13, 2026, at 1:00pm. DROZDAL FUNERAL HOME OF NORTHAMPTON has been entrusted with her care. For further information or to offer the family your condolences, please visit Drozdalfuneralhome.com.
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