June Avis Alsop

June Avis (Hansen) Alsop, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, passed away Friday, January 31, 2025, after 101 incredible years of life. 

A lifelong Duluth resident, June was born on January 30, 1924, to Norwegian immigrants John Christian Hansen and Anna Bergeta (Fossen) Hansen. She was the youngest of six children. 

June attended Central High School (’42), where she met Robert (Bob) Alsop, who asked her out to the movie Blondie after Norwegian class. Bob and June were married on April 13, 1946, at First Lutheran Church. 

She graduated from St. Luke’s School of Nursing in 1945 and worked at St. Luke’s, primarily in pediatrics, until retiring in 1984. Bob and June made their home on Cooke Street in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood, where they raised four children and welcomed grands and greats as often as possible. June enjoyed family camping trips, square dancing, and travel. She was a prolific knitter, turning out everything from doll clothes to Christmas stockings for every family member (including the in-laws). 

A gracious host, devoted homemaker, and known spitfire, June filled the house on Cooke Street with love, warmth, and whatever favorite treat any of her ten grandchildren requested. Later, when she moved to Westwood, she continued to host family with the same welcoming enthusiasm. 

June was as curious as she was practical. If she wanted to know something—how to tailor clothing, build a train table, or expertly decorate cakes—she signed up for a class and mastered the skill. 

She was a lifelong member of First Lutheran Church (baptized, confirmed, and married) and an active community volunteer. She was a member of Naomi Circle, ushered, taught Sunday school, and served on various boards. She also started First Lutheran’s prayer shawl ministry. In retirement, she and Bob served Meals on Wheels and worked with Lifeline. 

June’s greatest gift and lasting legacy is how she loved—with intention, devotion, and unwavering generosity. Whether through letters, calls, visits, or a bottomless dish of M&Ms, she had a way of making each of her beloved family members feel like they were the most special. And to her, they all were. 

June is preceded in death by Bob, her husband of 70 years, her parents, and siblings. She is survived by her four children, Karen (John) Crandall, Susan (Stephen) Asp, Marilyn (Chris) Hull, and Robert III (Natalie) Alsop; ten grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter, Charlotte June; and brother-in-law, Donald Alsop; and many nieces and nephews. 

Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Robert Jr. and June Alsop Memorial Scholarship Fund at Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa, or to First Lutheran Church, Duluth.

SERVICES

Visitation: Friday, February 7, 2025, 5-7 p.m. at Dougherty Funeral Home, 600 E, Second Street Duluth, MN 55805 and one hour prior to the service at First Lutheran Church on Saturday, February 8.

Funeral Service: Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church 1100 E. Superior Street, Duluth, MN 55805 

The Funeral Service will be livestreamed on First Lutheran's YouTube Channel   https://www.youtube.com/@FirstLutheranDuluth/streams