June Fitzpatrick


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June Fitzpatrick
June 14, 1938
May 23, 2022



PORTLAND – June Fitzpatrick, a prominent member of the Maine arts community and dear friend to many died peacefully on May 23, 2022, at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, of natural causes. She passed away at Gosnell after spending several months in home hospice. June will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

June was born in Sheffield, England, on June 14, 1938, the daughter of William and Nellie Bradley. June attended the Sheffield School of Arts and Crafts majoring in Art History. After arriving in Portland in the 1965 with her husband Edwin "Eddy" Fitzpatrick and their son Nick, June worked as a Maine Sunday Telegram journalist, where Eddy was features editor for years, overseeing arts coverage, before leaving to open the popular Pepperclub restaurant in Portland. June and Eddy had been separated for many years when Eddy died in 2017.

June’s son Nick was an artist and outdoorsman who was devoted to June. He died unexpectedly in 2019. Nick and his former partner Blainor McGough~took care of June in her retirement years, along with a circle of friends and neighbors who were like family to June.

June had a long and distinguished career in Maine as a social work advocate and successful business owner of Portland Nannies, TownHouse Suites, and as owner and curator of the June Fitzpatrick Gallery. A life-long advocate for children and young people, June was instrumental in many important causes for youth including the Children’s Rights Project. As part of her social work, June fostered babies as they waited for adoption, and would often have a foster baby in her arms at social events. June co-founded the alternative New School Workshop with other parents at the Mayo Street Arts building in Portland which her son Nick attended.

Home was a central theme in June’s life.  June felt very at home in Maine and loved homemaking and entertaining at the family’s Gothic House in Portland, their cottage at Peabbles Cove in Cape Elizabeth, where the family spent many summers, and June’s Park Street townhouse, which reminded June of England, and where June spent her golden years along with her dear dog Kate.

June loved animals and often mentioned past family dogs William, Vanessa Bell, Nikki, and Kate. She loved entertaining friends, gardening, cooking, painting furniture, sewing, book arts, collecting books, felting, tai chi, refinishing furniture, and spending time with Nick. June always completed the Sunday New York Times Crossword Puzzle, right up until the very end.

June was unquestionably the city’s top gallery owner of her time, known for her discerning eye, curatorial vision, and personal approach to business. June was sought after for her sparkling personality, good humor, wit, and the legendary after-opening parties she gave at her home. But even more so, June was known for her integrity, and kindness to everyone she met.

“She had a really good eye, and she didn’t just show what she thought would sell, but what she thought was worthwhile,” said Edgar Allen Beem, who has written about Portland art for decades, in a recent Portland Press Herald article. “I think the important thing with June is that she was a good person. She was nice to everyone and made everyone feel welcome.”

The June Fitzpatrick Gallery roster included Noriko Sakanishi, Paul Heroux, Tom Hall, Larry Hayden, Greg Parker, Sara Crisp, Tanja Hollander, Alison Hildreth, Michel Droge, Sequoia Miller, Warren MacKenzie, Emily Nelligan, Abby Shahn, and Amy Stacey Curtis.

"It was an extraordinary and wonderful quarter century. Thank you to everyone who walked through the doors bringing energy and contributing to the magic,” said June, in a Press Herald article about her final show.

After her retirement, June was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Maine College of Art for her contributions to the art world.

In 2020, in the midst of the Covid pandemic, June came out of retirement to guest curate a pop-up gallery for Mayo Street Arts with Blainor McGough, MSA’s former Director. The gallery showed work by William Manning, Noriko Sakanishi, Michel Droge, Christopher Patch, Richard Wilson, Shannon Rankin, Justin Richel, and Patt Franklyn.  In June’s final months, June and Blainor were planning a new gallery, which may open at a point in the future.  

June is predeceased by her parents, William and Nellie Bradley, her sister Rosamund, her husband Eddy Fitzpatrick, and her son Nick Fitzpatrick. June is survived by her sister Sue Griffiths and family in England, her stepdaughter Blainor McGough, Blainor’s husband Brian and their children, Rigel and Cirrus, and Nick and June’s terrier Kate.

June had many friends from many walks of life and all that she contributed over the years. All are invited to a reception to toast June and wish her Godspeed on her journey to paradise, which will be held at 6:00 PM on June 28, 2022 at the First Parish Church on Congress Street in Portland.
*****At the request of the Family, the Service has been rescheduled to 6:00 PM Tuesday September 20, 2022 at the First Parish Church on Congress St. in Portland *****

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to:
Maine College of Art and Design: meca.edu/donate~
or to a nonprofit important to you.


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