June McIntyre, 94, worked in the banking industry
Mrs. McIntyre enjoyed cooking Lithuanian food for special occasions.
- June McIntyre
- 94 years old
- Lived in East Falls
- She became Girard Bank’s first female branch manager in 1968
June McIntyre was independent, and she needed to be.
Her confidence and energy were especially admired by her family as she attempted to succeed in the male-dominated world of banking during her years at Girard Bank.
“If you were a female, you didn’t have a chance,” said her nephew Bob Bauers. “She worked at the main branch at Broad and Chestnut and trained a succession of guys who were hired to be officers and were promoted above her."
One time, Mrs. McIntyre went to bank officials to question her small pension and was told, “This is the best we’re going to do.” So she took action.
“She came to work every day and said, ‘I’m going to sit here and do nothing, and you’re going to have to fire me unless you increase my pension,’” Bauers said. “And she just sat at her desk and dared them to kick her out until they gave her at least a little bit more, and they did.”
A longtime resident of East Falls, Mrs. McIntyre died on Sunday, April 12, six days shy of her 95th birthday, of complications from the coronavirus at Spring House Estates in Lower Gwynedd.
Mrs. McIntyre did blaze a trail when she became Girard’s first female branch manager in 1968. She later returned to the Center City location, where she struck up a friendship with Phillies outfielder Greg Luzinski, who often made appearances to talk to fans and sell tickets.
She enjoyed cooking traditional Lithuanian food for Christmas Eve dinner
One day, her nephew recalled, she arrived at the bank with a cheesecake she had baked for Luzinski.
“He reported to her that he ate the whole thing in one night,” Bauers said.
The daughter of Lithuanian immigrants, Mrs. McIntyre enjoyed cooking traditional food for special occasions such as Christmas Eve dinner, treating the family to kielbasa, pierogis, and kugelis. Bauers said his favorite dishes prepared by his aunt included roasted chicken drumsticks and cheesecake.
Mrs. McIntyre was preceded in death by her husband, Philip, and a sister. She is survived by another sister, and eight nieces and nephews.