03/13/1928 – 08/16/2020
Julie T. Wagoner was born March 13, 1928 in New York City and spent her early years in Scarsdale, NY. Her father, Richard H. Thornton, President of Henry Holt was a friend and publisher of Robert Frost. She moved to Wellesley, MA to attend high school when her father worked at Guinn & Co. She then went to Smith College studying mathematics and the University of Chicago where she met Glen Wagoner. It was the farthest East he’d ever been and the farthest West she’d been. After they married, they moved to Berkeley where they both studied physics on the PhD track. He then worked in Cleveland, Ohio where they lived for 45 years and their daughter was born. Besides being a homemaker, Julie worked as a computer programmer in COBOL and Fortran at Sohio at American Greetings. She once caught a computer making an error. On the day of her fall she had been reading about the Higgs boson in modern particle physics. She died after hitting her head from a fall from jumping out of the path of a pedestrian not wearing a mask despite coronavirus mandates. They retired to north Boulder in 2003 to audit physics classes at the University of Colorado and live among the pine trees, mountain lions, bears, bobcats and foxes. Julie and Glen Wagoner were together for 71 years.
Ann:
Sorry to hear belatedly about your mother. Her obit outlines a preeminent person I would have liked to know. Hope this finds you well and safe.
Best regards,
Dave Bortz
Cleveland
Oh wow, what a great story of her life! I”m so sorry for your loss Ann and Glen, and Pete. I’m glad I got meet her the few times I did. She was very gracious, and fun to talk to, and go to the theater with!
So glad to learn a bit more about your mother Ann. And to know you and your father are together for awhile as your adjust to the world without her. You are a great testament to them in all you are doing with your yoga path and your unique intelligence.
Ann. Thank you for sending this obituary along with the invitation to Remembrance of Julie.
The photo of her on the sailboat is amazing. She looks like a movie star!
In Cleveland, I attended many book group meetings with her . In the discussions, her comments were was always very thoughtful and introspective .
My daughter’s family lives in Boulder so I was able to visit them in their wonderful home and later in the retirement facility .
My sincere sympathy to you and Glen .
It has been a great privilege to know both Glen and Julie who bought my family home on Valley Kane in Boulder. I knew the minute they walked through my front door they were the right people to buy my house. They made letting go an act of love. We had mutual interests in nature, science and love of that special property. I have missed their association ever since. My love and condolences to you both, Ann and Glen.