June Lee Federline, 86, led in two churches

In the 2000s, June Lee Federline was chairwoman of the mission team at Haddonfield United Methodist Church.

The team ran programs that, among others, tutored children in Camden and sent parishioners to help build houses for the underprivileged in Puerto Rico.

"June was involved in projects that met human needs," said the Rev. George Morris of Cherry Hill, who retired three years ago as pastor of the Haddonfield church.

"I've been blessed by her life," he said. "She was a real witness to what we can do to make the world better."

On Saturday, Jan. 31, Mrs. Federline, 86, of Haddonfield, a leader with Methodist and Presbyterian organizations in South Jersey, died at home of complications following a stroke in December 2014.

"She was a woman of very strong morals and opinions," daughter Cheryl said. "So that propelled her very logically into her church work and politics."

Peter J. O'Connor, founder in 1975 of the Fair Share Housing Center in Cherry Hill, was a lawyer on the winning side in what is known as the Mount Laurel decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court that year.

"It was basically an effort to open housing in the suburbs to the inner-city poor," O'Connor said.

After the decision, he said, Mrs. Federline in 1975 "was the first one to ever invite me to their home for a discussion about fair-share housing for the poor."

"And she brought in residents of Haddonfield to discuss the matter," he said. "It was very unusual for a suburban family to initiate something like that in those days."

O'Connor said Mrs. Federline, a community volunteer for his agency, "was a true Christian, who lived her life caring for others."

Born in Indianapolis, Mrs. Federline graduated from Anacostia High School in Washington and earned a bachelor's degree in art history at American University there.

From 1949 to 1951, her daughter said, Mrs. Federline drew maps for what is now the Defense Mapping Agency.

She joined the Haddonfield Presbyterian church in the 1960s and served as moderator of meetings in the late 1970s of the Presbytery of West Jersey, which, from its Haddon Heights office, represents 64 churches in seven counties.

In the 1980s, she became a member of the Haddonfield Methodist church, of which she was treasurer in the 2000s, her daughter said.

Mrs. Federline was a member of United Methodist Women and represented her congregation at meetings of the Haddonfield Council of Churches in the late 2000s, she said.

And, her daughter said, Mrs. Federline helped organize the Democratic Club of Haddonfield.

Besides her daughter, Mrs. Federline is survived by sons Lee and Jeffrey, and three grandchildren. Her husband, Charles, known as "Don," died in 2006.

A visitation was set for noon Saturday, Feb. 7, at the chapel of Haddonfield United Methodist Church, 29 Warwick Rd., Haddonfield, N.J. 08033, with a 1 p.m. memorial service there, followed by private burial.

Donations may be sent to the church at the above address.

Condolences may be offered to the family at http://kainmurphy.com.