June MacDonald Caplinger, 1932-2021

June MacDonald Caplinger, an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel among American Affinity Peoples in Ecuador and Chile, died Jan. 24, 2021. She was 88.

She was born on June 8, 1932, in Glasgow, Scotland, to the late Allan and Johan MacDonald.

Caplinger grew up in Scotland, where she finished high school and attended nursing school. There she met her husband, Okey William Caplinger, who was stationed in Glasgow with the United States Army Air Corps. They married in 1952 and later came to live in the United States.

After her husband’s death at age 49, she felt God wanted her more involved in his work and answered the call to missions. She served in Scotland and Chile with the Foreign (now International) Mission Board’s volunteer Missions Corps. She also spent a year working as a bookkeeper for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. The Foreign Mission Board employed her as a missionary in 1986 and she served 13 years in Chile and Ecuador. She retired in Denton, Texas, near her oldest daughter.

June was an active member of the Adult III Bible Study class at Southmont Baptist Church in Denton. Her volunteer activities at the church including serving on various committees, leading Bible studies for women, delivering flowers to shut-in members and working with other women to make dresses for young girls in developing nations.

She was preceded in death by her husband Okey William Caplinger, her youngest daughter Sharon Caplinger Boomsma, son-in-law Tom Boomsma, and two grandchildren Owen and Chelsea Boomsma.

She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Colbert (Jim); three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

A memorial service was held March 20 at Southmont Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the International Mission Board, 3806 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23230, or online at www.imb.org/give.

Read an obituary here.