Born in England in 1933, she and her parents moved to Hawaii and then to the Philippines 
where her father, Gerald Wilkinson, would run a subsidiary of her family's trading firm, 
Theo. H. Davies & Co. Ltd.

After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941, she was interned at age 8 with her 
brother and mother at the Santo Tomas Japanese Internment Camp for three years. It was 
a time of immense hunger and deprivation. She was so hungry that by the end of the War, 
she could only walk up the stairs, one step at a time. She came close to death at least 
once when in the fighting, a sniper shot at her, with her remembering the bullet going 
narrowly overhead as she dove to the ground. She and approx. four thousand other 
internees were liberated by Gen. MacArthur's troops in 1945.

Her internment influenced many of her beliefs: her support for world federalism and the 
need for greater understanding between countries; international law, specifically the 
International Criminal Court; and the need for sharing with the less fortunate. It 
underscored the importance of love and helping others and deepened her sense of 
appreciation. But it was only one influence amongst many in a very rich, diversified life.
After liberation, Mary June and her family reunited with her father who had joined the 
British army as the liaison officer between British forces and General Douglas MacArthur. 
After a short period recuperating in New York, she returned to England to start school at 
Downe House, while her parents returned to the Far East to rebuild businesses destroyed
by war.

In her twenties, Mary June trained as an opera singer, studied French at the Sorbonne 
University and was a secretary in London.

In 1962 she married Philip Pettyfer, an officer with the British Army Air Corps. In 1970, they 
emigrated to Victoria, Canada, with their three sons. Canada represented a wholesome 
change that she believed had a more open-minded culture in which to raise a family.
She was a truly loving mother, devoted to raising her children through cooking to music to 
school and so much more on the small farm where they lived on the outskirts of Victoria.

As her children grew-up, she expanded her sense of motherhood to her community and 
world. By the mid-seventies, she was concerned with the great inequities, including those 
in the developing world. As the Cold War heated up, she became an active peace 
advocate. She was an early environmentalist, foreseeing the inevitable problems, which 
would emerge. Her interests dovetailed into her contribution to the World Federalist 
Movement, which believes that while global problems are best solved globally, institutions 
of global decision-making (i.e. the United Nations) need to be improved. She ran and grew 
the Victoria chapter of the World Federalists for many years and was a member of the 
governing council of the national section of the organization. Her work for peace was a 
sensible approach from someone who knew that war must never be an option.
Our mother exemplified empathy, generosity, modesty and selflessness -- she was far 
more interested in the greater good than herself. What tied her qualities together was her 
great faith in God. It was beautiful to watch our mother's faith when she prayed, including 
when we prayed with her in the last period of life.

Her three children were together with her when she died. We sang the hymns that she 
sang with us as boys and enveloped her with our love.

Mary June is survived by her sons, Stephen, Adrian and Robin and three grandchildren. 
We will miss her greatly but are comforted that she will be reunited with her loved ones 
who have gone before her.

A memorial service was held on Sunday, August 20th at 1pm at Saint John the Divine 
Anglican Church, 1611 Quadra St., in Victoria.