Julie was born on May 18, 1955, to Mario and Ines Fiorio. The oldest of five children, she grew up in a close-knit Italian family on a ranch outside Gilroy, California, where she developed a lifelong love of the land, gardening, family traditions, and hard work.
Julie attended St. Mary's School in Gilroy and Notre Dame High School in Salinas. She continued her education at Gavilan College and Sacramento State, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Biology. She later completed a master's equivalent certification in laboratory technology at UC Davis. Her professional career led her to work in in-vitro fertilization laboratories, a field she found deeply rewarding as she helped others build families.
Julie met her husband, John, at a rugby tournament in Monterey. Although they did not reconnect for two years, fate reunited them at UC Davis Medical Center, where Julie worked in the emergency room lab and John was a fourth-year medical student. Their courtship was fast and furious and when John matched for his orthopedic residency in Jackson, Mississippi, Julie made the bold decision to follow him, packing her life into a U-Haul and moving across the country. They were married on June 2, 1984, at Mission San Juan Bautista and shared more than 41 years of a loving and eventful marriage.
In 1986, they welcomed their first son, David. After John completed his residency, the family moved to Columbus, Georgia, for his sports medicine fellowship, then returned to the West Coast in 1988. They settled in Windsor, California, where they built their family and home.
In 1991, they welcomed their second son, Christopher, through adoption and Michael, their "miracle" baby, was born in 1994.
Julie was a fiercely devoted mother. She shared a special bond with each of her boys and was overjoyed to welcome her daughters-in-law, Lo and Cassie, and her beloved grandson, Harrison, into the family.
Throughout her life, Julie faced extraordinary health challenges. Despite these hardships, Julie rarely complained and never allowed illness to define her. She continued to focus on others, always offering help and comfort to those in need.
Julie was deeply involved in her community, serving on the boards of, For Pete's Sake, where she helped bring a rugby field to Santa Rosa and the Italian Catholic Federation, organizing silent auctions and raffles. She had friends everywhere, including lifelong friendships from high school.
Julie loved to travel and was fortunate to explore the world with John. They visited many countries, enjoyed cruises and took multiple cross-country road trips throughout the US and Canada. She also loved working in her yard and took great pride in designing and shaping the family home. John often said that everything beautiful in their home and garden existed because of her. Julie will be remembered for her resilience, generosity, deep love for her family, and the many lives she touched through kindness, friendship, and service.
She is survived by her husband, John, sons, David (Losalini), Christopher (Cassie), Michael, grandson, Harrison and her four siblings, Francine Vorhees (Jon), Carol Duncan (Arliss), Danny Fiorio (Dina) and Richard Fiorio (Anne), as well as her numerus nieces and nephews.
A rosary will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026, 6:00 p.m and a funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, January 17, 2026, 11:00 a.m. at St. John's Catholic Church, Healdsburg.
No comments:
Post a Comment