Meet June Gault
1927-2020
Growing up in Minnesota, June Gault never dreamed that she would become an Island Girl. Not when her brother and sister moved to California, and certainly not when she and her mother followed them to the Golden State a few years later. A day trip to Catalina when she was 21 changed all that. When she walked into a restaurant named Scari's, she was taken in by the restaurant's elegant ambience and thought it would be a great place to work.
"The restaurant was beautifully decorated and full of customers," June recalled. The owner, Vincent Scaramucci, wasn't convinced about hiring her, but June didn't give up. She returned the following evening and on her third visit, Vincent hired her. June worked the summer as a hostess in the restaurant, doing whatever needed to be done. She returned the following summer, and a movie date with Vincent soon turned into a wedding proposal, and then marriage.
Together, the Scaramuccis ran Scari's restaurant, considered the "it" spot for artists and movie stars such as John Wayne, Nat King Cole, Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood. June also ran a boutique attached to the restaurant. In the off-season, they felt blessed to be able to travel the world visiting such exotic locales as Bangkok, Italy and Turkey. But Vince and June always kept a home in Long Beach. "There weren't any doctors or hospitals in Catalina, she explains, "so it was important to be able to get medical care in Long Beach when we needed it." Vincent's nephew, Dr. Leslie Esposito, a highly regarded physician and Chief of Staff at St. Mary, along with his wife, Filomena, were their business partners.
After 31 years of marriage, Vincent developed pancreatic cancer. During his illness, Sr. Alphonsus made special provisions so that June could stay with her husband. "Sr. Alphonsus was such a special person and friend to us and she, along with Dr. Esposito, they were of great comfort to Vince and me during his illness", June recalled. "The staff, too, were so kind." Her beloved "Vinci" passed away in 1991.
Even before Vincent's passing, the couple was supportive of the Sisters' healing mission. They hosted the Sisters for a day at their restaurant, and June had become a prominent ongoing supporter of St. Mary's auction fundraisers, attending the events annually and serving on the committee. "We would meet as a group and plan the event months ahead of time," she says. "They were always fun gatherings and the St. Mary staff always found a way to make you and the events feel special."
Her many years of interfacing with the staff at St. Mary made setting up two charitable trusts and a Charitable Gift Annuity a natural progression of her support of the hospital. "I enjoyed trading on the stock market for many years," she notes, "but with the recent volatility of the market, it's great to know that I have steady income at a high rate of return through my trusts with St. Mary".
"People need to know that the care at St. Mary is very, very good and the hospital is kept up well, and the staff is excellent. Throughout my life, I've been very blessed and have been fortunate to have had a great life. I think it's important for everyone to have a hospital you can count on in your time of greatest need". For June, it was a win-win for her and St. Mary. Her generosity and kindness benefitted her then, and will continue to benefit the community for many years to come. June Gault passed peacefully on February 2, 2020.