June Wise
May 7, 1936 — April 15, 2025
June Wise, 88, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Tuesday, April 15, 2025. A visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids. A funeral service will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Linwood Cemetery in Cedar Rapids. A livestream of the funeral service may be accessed on the funeral home website tribute page for June, under “ videos ,” starting at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
June was born on May 7, 1936, in Cedar Rapids, the daughter of Charles and Nina (Lynn) Burlingham. She graduated from Roosevelt High School and went on to attend AIB College of Business and cosmetology school. Before starting her family, she worked as a beautician. From 1954 to 1957, June proudly served in the United States Air Force. On September 16, 1960, she was united in marriage to Leonard E. Wise at St. James in Cedar Rapids. She later dedicated 23 years to the Cedar Rapids Community School District, working in food service until her retirement in 1997. June was an early member of the Moose Girls Drum and Bugle Corps and remained active in veterans' organizations as a member of both VFW Post #788 and the American Legion.
Survivors include her children, Kevin (Ellen) Wise of Iowa City, Steven (Dana) Wise of Cedar Rapids, and Cheryl Thorson (Rod Zak) of Isanti, Minnesota; eight grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Liz Wise, Nancy Wise, both of Cedar Rapids, and Tully Wise of Florida; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Wise; parents, Nina and Charles Burlingham; and siblings, Sherman McNabb, Fred “Ted” McNabb, Elsworth Burlingham, Adrian Burlingham, Edward Burlingham, DeWayne “Pinky” Burlingham, Rozella Tharp, Pearl Jean Gillard, Edith Agnew, and Betty Blado.
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Hiawatha Care Center and Dr. Timothy J. Sagers for the compassionate and dedicated care they provided to June.
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