June Handera (neé Fuller) died peacefully at home in Toronto, Ontario on Friday, May 21, 2021 in the presence of loved ones. Born in Sudbury, Ontario in 1938, June spent her childhood years in Oshawa, Ontario and most of her adult life in The Annex neighbourhood of Toronto.

Graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1961, June was an artist who gave a lifetime to a personal vision exemplified by the steady integrity of her work. Her work spans a wide range of influences, from the focused textural simplicity of arte povera’s Alberto Burri to the vivid pattern making of Navaho rug design. She used a wide range of media from cardboard collage, found objects, acrylic, oil, and pastel. In the last few years she focused on photo collage. She had a number of exhibitions in Toronto and Oshawa. June spent many years working in animation and teaching Life Drawing at George Brown College.

June was a global citizen, intellectually curious and fascinated with cultural history. She loved to travel and spoke often about her visits to Greece, Israel, Morocco, Egypt, and the Southwest United States. Wherever she went, she made friends who stayed connected with her.

June married Vladimir Handera in 1964, who predeceased her in 2015. They were bonded by a shared deep commitment to civil rights and social justice. June was a loving and devoted mother. She leaves behind her son Dmitri and daughter-in-law Louise Tsang. She is survived by her brother George Fuller and her sister Christine Witzgall, nieces Andrea Hayman and Arlene Moran and nephew Warren Witzgall.

Due to COVID-19 a funeral service was not held. Memorial donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders.