Julie, or Kat as she was known by many, was multifaceted. A painter, seamstress, artist, jewellery maker, writer, activist, juggler, spiritualist, chef, designer, chocolatier, dressmaker, teacher, logophile, photographer, feminist, poet, gardener, maker, provocateur, lover of language, and add a thousand other things. A truly special one-of-a-kind individual. She was a legend admired by many.

Patient with things and not people was something Julie sometimes said of herself. It was partly true, more so in her early years. She would spend hundreds of hours perfecting crafts without a second thought, often well into the night, days at a time. People were more of a struggle for her – she valued her space as well as her people. But later in life, she would spend countless hours with people she cared for, or her “tribe” as she liked to call them. Teaching them, building memories, touching them in ways that only she could. She always had so much to give, whether time, knowledge, or advice. This took a lot of effort, but you’d never know it, and that’s one of the things that made her such an amazing human being. Julie had a way of seeing your true potential and finding creative ways to support that, to help you flourish, and to make you become your best self.

Her later years were Julie’s happiest, a mix of having time to be able to down tools and spend a day reading, followed by an intense and almost obsessive project, before taking time out for her tribe, and so the cycle would repeat. A perfect mix of calm and chaos.

Julie leaves behind a brother and sister, three children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren; a “dynasty” she said proudly. And many great friends, each significantly shaped by this strong, independent, and magical lady. She will live on in their hearts and actions.