I'd just made it into the UCLA and was not yet in the animation program which at the time (around 1989) was strictly for Grad students. There was a 181A class for Undergraduates and Dan McLaughlin, animation chair and head of dept., let me audit the class. He saw that I was one of those "lost souls" who loved to draw and loved movement even though I'd only taken a few basic drawing classes in Jr. College. His motto, if you work hard enough, your talent will shine through. He worked as hard as his students. He let me make an advanced film (181C) and said a good narration would sell the visuals. His "friend, June" had recently been mugged and this project was something that might help us both out. He put in a call and the next thing you know, we were headed to her house with some nice sandwiches, desert, and a Nagra.
She was as gracious as could be and spent the afternoon entertaining us and telling stories. One that sticks in my mind is about a horse that came to visit, entered her house and urinated on the rug. "Have you ever tried to clean a pet stain out of your carpet?!" she asked. "Try cleaning gallons and gallons of horse pee...you can't just call one of those steam cleaners...well you can but they didn't believe me until they got here..." We laughed and laughed and laughed. Years later, she came to Klasky Csupo when I was working there. June would always remember my name and always took the time to visit. For as "famous" as she was, she was one of the most down-to-earth and gracious people one could ever meet.
RIP June, you'll be missed greatly, but never forgotten!
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