Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
By any measure, June Durough has spent her life surrounded by educators, caregivers and community builders. But for Durough, work has never felt like a career path so much as a calling shaped early in life and strengthened through years of service, loss and connection.
Born and raised in Prattville, Durough grew up in a household where education was more than a profession. It was a way of life.
Both of her parents served in education throughout their careers. Her mother, Lottie Weedon, spent 25 years teaching second grade before becoming a psychometrist for the Autauga County Board of Education. Her father, Allen Weedon, worked as a teacher, coach and principal before ultimately serving as superintendent.
“Growing up with both parents in the field shaped me into who I am today,” Durough said. “I was always helping my mom in her classroom and was drawn to help those that needed a little extra help.”
Those early experiences would quietly lay the foundation for a life spent serving others, especially those who often need more support to thrive.
She recalls her parents as her greatest early influences, crediting them with instilling the values that continue to guide her work today.
“They taught me values, work ethic and morals that make me who I am today,” she said.
Later in life, another influential figure would help shape her professional journey. During her nine years at the Prattville YMCA, Durough worked under Keith Cantrell, a mentor she describes as both a boss and a father figure.
“In my career, Keith Cantrell believed in me like no one else ever had,” she said. “He is like a father to me and gives the best advice. God placed him in my path, and his leadership and guidance has taught me so much.”
Durough’s earliest opportunities to serve came naturally, first in her mother’s classroom and later working in the special education department with the Autauga County school system right after high school. Those experiences sparked something deeper, even if she did not immediately recognize it as a lifelong purpose.
Over time, especially after joining the Prattville YMCA, her understanding of community began to shift and expand.
“I think it has been since I started at the Prattville YMCA that I truly learned the value of community,” she said. “Seeing all the different moving parts has opened my eyes to things I never knew.”
For Durough, the desire to help others was never tied to recognition or achievement. Instead, it has always been rooted in something more personal.
“I have always had a motherly instinct,” she said. “I never looked at it as making a difference, but more helping people because it brings me joy to see others succeed. The smiles on faces when they try and have someone who believes in them, when they figure out that they CAN do it, it is the most heartwarming feeling there is.”
That philosophy defines what being a “difference maker” means to her.
“Personally, it means doing what is right and from the heart,” she said. “Not because you have to or for a photo op, but because you want to do it. Providing everyone the same opportunities.”
Life, however, has also brought challenges that deepened her perspective. After the loss of her mother in 2017, Durough says her connection to the special needs community became a source of strength and purpose.
“I have been through some really trying times since my mom passed away,” she said. “The special needs community has been my saving grace. They have become family. If you are ever having a bad day, any one of our friends can cheer you up. They are pure joy.”
One moment in particular continues to stand out in her memory, a reminder of the quiet but powerful impact of her work.
A close friend, a teacher and single mother of a child with Down syndrome and autism, had long carried the weight of round-the-clock care. When Durough launched Camp ABLE, a summer camp for special needs participants through the Prattville YMCA, she invited her son to attend.
“When I said yes, the tears started flowing,” Durough said. “It was the first summer she could take a break, relax, go to the grocery store, take a nap if she wanted to. So many things we all take for granted. Every day when she would bring him and pick him up, she was so thankful.”
Moments like that continue to fuel her commitment.
“The smiles, the accomplishments these friends make, helping them realize they can do it,” she said. “That is what keeps me going.”
Today, Durough serves as financial development and ABILITY director for the Prattville YMCA. She also serves as director of the Alabama State Games Miracle League Division in a volunteer role and is active on multiple community boards and organizations, including Leadership Autauga, the Children’s Policy Committee and the Prattville Civitan Club.
Even with a full plate, she describes her work simply.
“I say I have the best job there is because I get to plan all the fun events and programs,” she said.
At home, she is a wife, mother and grandmother, with three grown children, four stepsons and four grandchildren. In her personal time, she enjoys gardening and flowers, finding peace in simple routines that mirror her grounded approach to life and service.
For young people hoping to make a difference, her advice is straightforward.
“Jump in feet first,” she said. “Don’t be scared and don’t give up.”
In a community built on quiet acts of service and steady commitment, June Durough stands as a reminder that difference makers are not always defined by titles or recognition, but by the lives they help lift along the way.
