Our dear friend and co-worker, June Taylor, passed away on January 12th, after a hard-fought battle with cancer. She will be greatly missed by us all.
June began her career at KASU in 1986, as a broadcast production specialist. She was the first female engineer, and also the first African American, to be hired at KASU. June came to us from Washington, D.C., where she earned her bachelor¹s degree as an honor student at Howard University.
KASU Station Manager, Mark Smith, shared his thoughts in the press release announcing June’s passing. "June will be fondly remembered by her colleagues at KASU, by the many faculty and staff members at Arkansas State who knew her, by many of the station's listeners and contributors, and by a host of students whose lives she touched over her years at A-State. We will miss her. Through her involvement with the Black Student Association on campus and KASU, June worked with countless students who remember her fondly for her smile, her laughter, and her kindness.”
>>LISTEN TO THIS AUDIO TRIBUTE TO JUNE TAYLOR<<
June produced numerous programs in over three decades that she worked at KASU, including the long-running "Tradition" and "Calendar Lore" programs, which are hosted by Dr. Bill Clements, emeritus professor of English and folklore. While her work as a broadcast engineer was mostly behind the scenes, June was best known to regular KASU listeners as co-host of "We Wanna Boogie," a role that developed from her studio collaboration with the original program host, rockabilly legend Sonny Burgess. They worked together for 12 years until Sonny died in 2017.
A memorial service for June will be held Wednesday, February 5, from 2-4 p.m., in the Grand Hall of the Fowler Center. At 3 p.m., there will be a time for sharing memories and reflections. We will share photos and some audio clips, read comments that have been collected from friends and former students, and open the floor to any in attendance who would like to share. We hope that many friends, members of the A-State community, and alumni will be able to attend. The clock tower of the Dean B. Ellis Library on the A-State campus will be specially lit in her honor that evening as well.