Obituary: June "Sahra" Aschenbach

June 2, 1934 - April 8, 2023

June “Sahra” Boester Nash Aschenbach / Courtesy photo

June “Sahra” Boester Nash Aschenbach passed away peacefully on April 8, 2023 at the age of 88. She was born June Louise Boester in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 2, 1934, the oldest daughter of Elmer and Beatrice Boester. She was predeceased by both parents as well as her younger brother, William Boester. She is survived by her youngest brother, Robert Boester. She lived far too many lives to be encompassed here, but we will aim to illuminate the woman she was.

After growing up in a conservative home in the suburbs of Cleveland, she attended Northwestern University to become a registered nurse, which eventually brought her to the Mary Fletcher Hospital (UVM Medical Center today) as a neurology surgical nurse. She left her nursing career in the mid-1960s and became an organic gardener and artistic photographer in Hinesburg, Vermont. In the late 1970s, she moved to Burlington, Vermont, went back to school, and got her masters degree at UVM as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and psychotherapist. 

In the early 1980s, she lived in India and Nepal, studying with spiritual teachers and where she was given the nickname "Sahra." This name suited her personality far better than her birth name, "June.” Sahra was a teacher, a guide and an inspiration to live an authentic life to many. She started a community preschool, a women's health center, a holistic health center, and community gardens. 

Sahra prided herself on her intelligence and independence. She traveled the world and had many wonderful life experiences. She was raised Lutheran, studied world religions, and came back to Jesus later in life. She was excited to meet Jesus and spend eternity with him.

Sahra was many things to many people. She was a unique individual who loved to connect deeply with others. May she be thought of when you drink your next cup of tea, hear wind chimes in the afternoon, work in your garden, take in and let out a deep cleansing breath, or notice a woman strolling by in layers of purple, velvet and scarves. 

Sahra is survived by her first son, Scott Samuels, along with his wife Robin Samuels and their children, Courtland and Grayson. Scott found his way back to Sahra in his early thirties, building a relationship of love and honesty. 

Sahra was predeceased by her first husband, Charles Nash. Together they are survived by their son Mark Daniel Nash and his wife Kathryn Blume. She later married artist and UVM professor, Paul Aschenbach, by whom she was predeceased. Together they are survived by their daughter Elizabeth Aschenbach Danyew, her husband Richard Danyew, their three daughters, Brittany, Jenna, and Emily, and Brittany’s two children Ava and Jackson.

A Celebration of Life for Sahra June Aschenbach will be held on May 27 at 10:30 a.m. at Green Mountain Community Alliance Church, 4987 Vermont Rt. 100, Duxbury, Vermont. You are not obligated to wear dark colors, this will be a celebration of Sahra’s life and legacy. There will be a time to share brief memories of Sahra. 

Anyone unable to attend in person, may watch the Celebration of Life through Facebook Live on the church Facebook page.