June Diamond, who passed away at age 76, spent her career in educational and social support roles across Yorkshire. Born in Leicester to Jean Donaldson and Francis Hurst, she attended Leicester Girls’ Grammar School before pursuing higher education at the University of East Anglia, where she studied English literature and American studies. She completed teacher training in York and began her career teaching secondary English at a school in Sutton, south London, where she met fellow educator Neil Diamond, whom she married in 1974. The couple had three children together.
When the family relocated to Leeds in 1980, Diamond shifted her focus toward adult education, working as a tutor at various colleges across Leeds and West Yorkshire starting in the mid-1980s. She underwent additional training as a counsellor and served as deputy director of The Basement from 1987, an adult education centre that offered support services including counselling, job search assistance, and guidance on accessing education and social services for long-term unemployed individuals. In 1992 she moved to Park Lane Further Education College in Leeds as a lecturer, where she remained active in trade union activities.
Diamond pursued postgraduate study beginning in 1990 while employed at The Basement, completing research on feminist critical theory. During the 2000s, she worked as a lecturer in teacher training and counselling skills at Leeds University until retiring in 2016. Colleagues and students noted her non-judgmental approach and listening abilities. A committed Labour Party member, she participated actively in election campaigns.
Following retirement, Diamond volunteered with Community Accord, a mediation service in Bradford, and chaired the West Yorkshire branch of the Victorian Society. She organized and led historical walking tours examining buildings and residents’ lives in Leeds and Bradford suburbs. She maintained residence in Headingley, Leeds for nearly 50 years and pursued interests including opera, the arts, and local choir singing. She also travelled extensively through South America and Europe. Her marriage ended in divorce during the late 1980s. She is survived by three children and two grandchildren.
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