june marlow, the Plymouth-born singing star and television actress Jean Dike, died on 22 February at her home overlooking Sutton Harbour, aged 95. Her final weeks were spent in the flat she had occupied for 35 years, supported by St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth and close family. Her daughter, Kate Van Dike, cared for her round the clock as her condition declined.
June Marlow remembered
Jean Dike built a long public life under the professional name June Marlow and was described by family as a glamorous performer with an enduring, warm presence. She remained active in television well into later life and was a recognisable face on both and ITV screens. The family emphasised that compassionate hospice care at home allowed Jean to die surrounded by loved ones in the place she treasured.
Career and early life
Born Jean Moulder on 15 January 1931 and raised in Plymouth’s Barbican, she showed early musical promise and gave her first public performance during the Second World War at age nine or ten. A talent scout heard her at the Palace Theatre and she made a professional recording with the Concert Orchestra at 13. She later appeared on Opportunity Knocks and toured with Eddie Mendoza’s comedy dance band, where she met and married musician Peter Van Dike; their marriage lasted four decades until his death in 1988. Her television work included appearances in adaptations of The Pickwick Papers and Jamaica Inn, the children’s drama MI High, and character roles in Doc Martin. Her final television appearance came at age 87, when she played a patient named Ethel.
Immediate reactions and next steps
Kate Van Dike, Jean’s daughter, spoke of the hospice team’s care and the relief it brought the family: “They treated Mum with such tenderness and acknowledged her as the most important person. We could never have cared for her at home without their help. ” Jackie Butler has traced Jean’s roots and long career, noting her devotion to family and the dignity and elegance with which she lived.
Jean’s childhood hardships — her mother died when Jean was six and she was raised by her grandmother, who urged her to believe she was “as good as any man” — help explain the determination that underpinned a life on stage and screen. She leaves behind an extended artistic family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who remember her vivacity and generosity.
The family have expressed gratitude for the hospice staff who supported them in Jean’s final weeks and for the chance to keep her at home. Tributes from relatives underline the same themes of dignity, elegance and a life lived for performance and family. As arrangements and remembrances are prepared, june marlow’s wider public legacy will be recalled by those who saw her on stage and screen.
