Jean Dike, aka June Marlow, Plymouth-born singing star and actress has died aged 95.
Jackie Butler traces her roots, her incredible life as a professional performer, her unshakeable devotion to her family and the compassionate hospice care at home that guided her final weeks.
Glamorous singing star, TV character actress, inspirational and devoted mother, vivacious and supportive grandmother and great grandmother, Jean Dike lived her extraordinarily full life with dignity, elegance and grace until the very end.One of Plymouth’s best-loved entertainers and matriarch of a large, unconventional, artistic family, she embraced several identities during her lifetime.
Some knew her by her professional name, June Marlow, while her grandchildren and close friends called her Jeanie, but she began life on 15 January 1931 as Jean Moulder, raised in the heart of Plymouth’s Barbican when it was a poor but tightknit and supportive community.It was just across the water at Sutton Harbour, in the apartment she called home for 35 years, that Jean spent her final days, surrounded by her loving family and supported by the compassionate care of St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth.
She died on 22 February, just a few weeks after her 95th birthday.Jean’s mother died when she was just six years old. She was raised by her grandmother whose sage advice to her was: “Always remember you’m as good as any man.”
They were words Jean never forgot, forging ahead with her show business career with a self-assured and gracious attitude that took no prisoners.
June Marlow has been lovingly remembered
Her childhood home on the Barbican was filled with music and laughter, and she was encouraged to sing and impersonate other great voices, like the infamous Mae West, from a very young age.At Castle Street Infants School in the 1930s Jean’s teachers recognised her talents and asked her to play Mary, singing Sleep Holy Babe, two years in a row for the Christmas nativity play.
The next year the teachers felt someone else ought to have a go, but they still asked her to stand behind the new Mary who mimed while Jean sang.
Jean’s first public performance was during the Second World War, aged nine or 10. A band of forces musicians were performing on the Hoe and heard her singing along so beautifully that they asked her to join them on stage in front of the microphone.
Lady Astor heard about the incident and invited Jean to tea at her home on Elliott Terrace. Plymouth Sutton’s pioneering first woman MP had her maid sort out a dress for “that poor child from the Barbican” to wear before sending her down to meet the musical director at the Palace Theatre.
Although he thought she was too young to train at that point, it was at that historic city venue that a talent scout heard her sing and sealed her destiny.
Jean was 13 when she made her first professional recording with the BBC Concert Orchestra, travelling alone on the train to London and back and earning herself 15 guineas – enough for a gaberdine mac for school, according to her grandmother.Three years later, Jean appeared on Opportunity Knocks with Hughie Green, which led to her going on tour with Eddie Mendoza and his comedy dance band.
That’s when she met her soon-to-be husband Peter Van Dike, a musician and photographer who played double bass with the band. The young couple fell in love and were married on tour. Their very happy marriage lasted 40 years, until Peter’s death in 1988.Jean was 19 when her first child, Greg was born in 1950, followed soon after by Julie. In those early days the family settled in London where Jean’s singing career blossomed, first with the Eric Winstone Band, when she adopted her stage name June Marlow, and then through the Fifties, both as a solo artist and singer with The Stargazers.
A hugely busy and successful hit pop act, they made countless radio broadcasts and TV appearances, a Royal Command Performance, as well writing and recording dozens of well-known jingles and songs for commercial TV adverts.
One of these was the theme for the original 1960 Fry’s Turkish Delight advert featuring Jean’s rich and melodic voice.As a young mother and now successful solo artist she chose not to tour, preferring to stay close to home, her children and husband Peter, who happily settled into the role of househusband before the term was even invented.
Throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s Jean continued broadcasting and making regular radio and television appearances alongside other top class performers and MDs like Bernard Braden, Steve Race, Ronnie Hazelhurst, Norrie Paramour, Bob Monkhouse, Alma Cogan and Kenneth Connor.
She was a series regular and leading lady on the biggest music shows of the era and a frequent panellist on popular programmes like Juke Box Jury. She duetted with her favourite British singer and friend Matt Monro.With the entertainment industry changing fast, Jean and Peter made the decision to briefly relocate to the Bahamas to be nearer the USA, but with a second batch of children coming along – daughter Angie, son Jeff and baby of the family Kate – they were soon drawn back to Jean’s happy roots in Plymouth, settling on the edge of the city at Tamerton Foliot, where Peter built two family homes.Peter opened the now legendary Van Dike Club in Exmouth Road, hosting numerous artists and bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s who became superstars, including Pink Floyd, Free, T Rex, Genesis, Roxy Music, Status Quo, Cat Stevens and Eric Clapton.Kate said: “At that time Mum was largely a homemaker. She gave us nothing but stability and tender maternal love. She loved her performing career, but she was also a devoted mother and grandmother.“She and my dad created quite a dynasty – five children, 10 grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and counting. She was immensely proud and supportive of us all.”When Kate was five, Jean branched into a new acting career, often playing characters with an authentic Westcountry accent – something she was very particular about. She was even employed as a dialect coach on some productions to make sure the other actors got it right.During the 1980s she sang on BBC Radio 2 on the popular show Acker’s ’Alf ’Our with Acker Bilk and appeared on The Good Old Days.Viewers have seen her acting over the years in shows such as A Horseman Riding By, Penmarric, Diana, Jamaica Inn, Badgergirl, The Pickwick Papers, Cats Eyes and more recently, MI High with June Whitfield and in several series of the hugely popular Doc Martin.Jean’s last TV appearance was at the age of 87 in a scene with Martin Clunes in the doctor’s surgery.Playing Ethel, who had fallen and put a rusty nail through her hand, with characteristic charm she told her famous co-star: “If this is my swansong, then I’m more than happy it’s with you, Martin.”For her final “gig” when she was 90, The Box museum and gallery invited Jean to be the voice of the Elizabethan House on New Street where she was born. Jean’s voice, channelling her own grandmother’s characterful Plymouth tones, will be heard for years to come, welcoming visitors and telling the story of this historic building in its own words.Daughter Kate said: “Mum was a one-off in many ways, so vibrant, extremely strong and spirited, bright, interested in people, discerning and true to herself always.
As a mother she looked after us with so much confidence and joy. She was full of self-respect and self-belief. That carried her through inevitable storms too, and she wanted all her children to take that on in our lives.”All five of Jean and Peter’s children followed in their parents’ artistic footsteps. Greg, who died in 2007, was a singer/songwriter, DJ, music promoter and music memorabilia dealer; Julia was a celebrated watercolour artist; Angelina co-founded the Club Fandango music and comedy venue in Plymouth; Jefferson, who died in 2023, was a well-known dance music DJ.Kate, meanwhile, had a career as a comedy actress and co-owns an entertainment production company. A love of music is clearly evident in all their lives and in the generations that have followed.
‘St Luke’s ensured that this very discerning, successful person was able to do things her own way’
Kate Van Dike has praised the care provided and coordinated by St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth that allowed her mother, Jean, to spend her final weeks in her own home.
“St Luke’s ensured that this very discerning, successful person was able to do things her own way, and they were here to support me and the family too,” said Kate who was Jean’s PA for the last three years.
“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.”
Until late last year, Jean had always enjoyed robust good health. Then she and her daughter Kate noticed things were starting to change. Although she had no serious illnesses, Jean was becoming frailer and in January Kate moved in to be with her around the clock.
Jean’s dearest wish was to stay in control and in the comfort of her own apartment, but that was becoming harder to maintain. Her GP gently broke the news that Jean was probably in the last year of life.
“Mum’s ever polite, half joking reply was, ‘There was so much more I wanted to do! But thank you so much for everything you have done for me. I could not have asked for more,” said Kate.
“Her lovely GP suggested that Mum’s frailty and increasing need for specialist support meant she could refer her to St Luke’s for nursing care at home.”
Lynn Collins, St Luke’s specialist community health care assistant, visited Jean and Kate and explained what the hospice could do to help.
“It was like the cavalry arrived and a weight was lifted,” said Kate.
“St Luke’s took over the umbrella of Mum’s care and the network of people who would be there to support us. We knew then that things were going to be as comfortable, dignified and private as possible.
“They assess what the family needs and provide an anchor for everything. They offer a wealth of advice and plenty of hugs too. We were held by their reassurance.”
St Luke’s urgent care team started visiting Jean once a day, then twice as things quickly began to change. They also coordinated support from the district nurses and a bit later, night sitters from a care agency and Marie Curie.
“It was a huge relief when St Luke’s were willing and able to take care of Mum even though she was declining through old age rather than a terminal illness. I do believe that frailty is something that deserves the same care when it’s appropriate. “I cannot express how amazing it is that these women do this day in and day out. I think it is probably one of the most important things you can do at the end of someone’s life.”
Having that support allowed Kate to concentrate on being Jean’s daughter as well as her fulltime carer. “They would come in with a smile and help in whatever way they could, and they were very gracious in telling us how well we were doing looking after Mum.
That meant so much to us as a family,” said Kate. “St Luke’s empowered me to do my best for Mum by taking some of the pressure off. It was the least I could do after everything she had done for us, with such unconditional love.
“Mum didn’t want to dwell on coming to the end of her life. She kept looking forward and was always pragmatic and driven. And even at the end she was still able to flash her beautiful smile.”