Julie Ann Engle of Powhatan went peacefully to be with the Lord on Monday, August 31. She was 74.

Julie was born on July 9, 1952 in Portchester, New York. She is predeceased by her parents, Barney and Winnie King of Old Saybrook, CT. Julie is survived by her husband of 47 years, John; her three children, Stephanie (Kirk) Saboda of Yardley, PA, Becky (Ramon) Hohlenwerger of Winthrop, MA, and Ben (Molly) Engle of Hyde Park, MA; six grandchildren—Emma and Sam Saboda, Livia and Ollie Hohlenwerger, and June and Aletta Engle; and her four siblings, Barney (Lori) King, Greg (Janis) King, Chris (MaryJo) King, and Jill (Rob) DePalermo, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Julie attended Concordia College in Bronxville, NY for two years and then transferred to Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT, from which she graduated in 1975 with a B.S. in Nursing. Julie worked as a nurse for over 30 years at different places: Albert Einstein Medical Center in the Bronx, Mary Hitchcock Hospital in Hanover, NH where she was Head Nurse on the pediatric ward, various visiting nurse agencies in Massachusetts, and Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in Greenfield, NH where she worked with patients with traumatic brain injuries. She especially enjoyed her years as a visiting nurse which involved going into people’s homes to care for them there. In all these roles, Julie demonstrated a compassionate, caring heart as well as strong, professional competence.

Julie had many interests and joys in life. She enjoyed spending time with John, and along with him, her children and their spouses and her grandchildren were the most important people in her life. She also enjoyed traveling, especially to national parks but also trips to Spain, Italy, Mexico, and South Africa, quilting, watching cooking shows and trying out new recipes, going out for breakfast or lunch with friends, photography, simply spending time with her many friends, and singing. She had a lovely singing voice and sang in various choirs over the years.

The central reality and real foundation of Julie’s life was her deep faith and relationship with Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. A friend at Concordia College shared with her in 1971 the verse from the Gospel of John which says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (3:16). Julie believed that to be true, prayed to receive Christ as her Savior, and her life was transformed from that point on. She never looked back and remained faithful to Christ for the rest of her life.

In addition to her ministry as a wife, mother, and nurse, Julie actively served the Lord with John in four different churches for 44 years, most recently at Powhatan Mennonite Church where she had many friends who loved her and supported her in practical ways during her struggles with health issues. Her ministry over the years included serving on worship teams, leading Bible studies, praying for people, going on missions trips, practicing hospitality by having people over for meals, and simply being a friend to others in need. She and John were prayer partners and she played a very vital role in his ministry as a pastor by praying for him for many years. Virtually everyone who knew Julie could testify that she had a kind, caring heart and appreciated her sweet spirit and the smile that she shared with everyone. She will be sorely missed by all her family and friends whom she treated with genuine grace and love as she demonstrated the marks of a true follower of Jesus. Julie also modeled her faith by the indomitable courage with which she faced the adversity of her health issues; she never gave up but persevered without complaining all the way to the end of her life.

A celebration of Julie’s life will be held at Powhatan Mennonite Church, 3540 Old Buckingham Road in Powhatan, on Saturday, September 12. Visitation is from 2:30-4:00 PM and the service at 4:00 PM followed by a light meal in the church building gym.