Julie Leighton

Julie’s husband John awoke on the morning of Friday, July 11, 2025. He touched his Julie and said good morning. Julie didn’t respond, and so John asked if she was OK. Again silence. So John moved to hold her, only to discover that Julie had passed away during the night. Julie was treasured by her husband, by her children, by her grandchildren, by her friends, by her little artists, and by almost anyone whom she encountered. Truly, Julie was a treasure, because Julie was all heart.

Julie was the seventh born of a gaggle of nine daughters to mother, Mary Margaret (Pothen), and father, William Dennis Funk. Julie’s deep love for others was evident even in her youth, as Julie gave preferential treatment to those who were suffering. When Julie was a child, she and her sisters were each permitted to select a hamster from the pet store. Julie selected the hamster with the broken tail. And when Julie was a teen, she adopted an elderly dog – Suzy – that was nearly blind, arthritic, epileptic, and almost hairless. Julie loved her parents and her eight sisters – Judi, Joyce, Joan, Janet, Jayne, Jean, Jacelyn, and Jill. Julie especially loved mothering Jill – the youngest of her sisters. Jill would approach Julie if she had a broken doll, if she needed advice, or if she simply needed a hug. Julie would tell Jill: “I’m Mr. Fixit. And so, I will fix it.” And if Julie couldn’t make things completely right, she made them seem even better than right. Julie would say: “Doesn’t your doll look so cute with her arm in a sling?” Julie and Jacelyn, being very close in years, spent much of their childhood together – almost as twin siblings. Julie and Jackie even shared their friends with each other. In her adult years, Julie and Jean became the best of friends, as their children were nearly the same ages, and their mutual love for the Church bonded them to one another. Julie so loved her sister Jean and wanted to be nearer to her beloved sister that she begged her husband to move near to her. And so he did. For it is impossible to say no to this beautiful woman who never said no to anyone else. Julie craved sister-time with Jean, and so Julie made up excuses to see Jean. She often would text Jean: “Come kidnap me and take me to McDonald’s for breakfast.” And so she would.

Julie has always especially loved children. Because of this deep love for children, Julie attended the University of Minnesota, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. During her college years, Julie fell in love with her future husband, John. Immediately after graduation, Julie secured the 2nd grade teaching position at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Osseo, MN – the same school that she attended in her youth. Julie and John were married at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church during her Christmas break of that first year of Julie’s teaching career. The day of Julie and John’s marriage was magical as giant snowflakes gently fell from the skies, as if God were blessing their union. They adorned Julie’s head as they fell upon her like stars. Julie loved teaching her students and remained in her position until her heart drew her away from profession to motherhood.

Julie was the sun around which her husband orbited. The two of them spent nearly every available moment together. They held hands wherever they went. Julie would ask John to sing to her every night, and so he would. Such love bore fruit as Julie began conceiving, bearing, and giving birth to their five surviving children – John, Justin, Jenna, Julianne, and Joseph. Julie was a devout Catholic. She loved the Church and instilled that love in each of her children. She faithfully wore her scapular, and she cooked meatless meals on Fridays. Julie loved helping her children choose Lenten sacrifices and sometimes dissuaded her husband from his poorly selected ones. Julie loved the seasonal rhythms of the Church. She especially loved Advent, because she loved preparing for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Likely, this was due to her love for gifting.

Julie has a mother’s heart. Julie doted on her own children. She especially loved reading great children’s literature to them and teaching them art. She would regularly take her children to the library and let them pick out as many books as they wanted. In the summertime, Julie would daily pack up the wagon with her children and pull them for seven blocks to the city pool. She always brought money for her little ones to buy snacks at the snack bar. And so they did. When Julie’s husband John was out of town on business, Julie would take the children to Block Buster Video. She would let each child pick out a movie and candy. Upon return, the little ones would excitedly chatter with one another so as to determine the best order of viewing their movie selections. When the children would find an injured animal, Julie cared for it. One time, an injured bunny was brought to Julie’s tender care. For two days, Julie got up every hour or so throughout the night to feed it through a syringe, only to have our Lord relieve her, calling the bunny to His home. Julie would freely donate Tupperware containers to house the myriad bugs and critters her children brought into her home.

Julie and John decided to homeschool their children. As a teacher, Julie was never frustrated – never impatient. Indeed, patience is the hallmark of Julie's teaching style. In those years, school usually began immediately after breakfast, but sometimes, breakfast was served to the children at their desks, with the children still in their jammies. The school day would begin with praying the rosary then followed by Silly Songs from Veggie Tales. Julie's priorities were such that not only would the children readily be given snow days, but she would also give them good-weather days, so that they could play outside and enjoy the beauty of creation. Eventually, Julie began teaching art at a local Catholic homeschool community – Veritas in Academia. She especially loved the littlest of her students, whom she called her little artists. Julie’s management of a large classroom full of little children amazed everyone. Julie held the attention of children because her spirit was so bright. Julie so loved little children, that whenever one of the mothers of that homeschool community was expecting, Julie would excitedly buy baby clothes to send upon news of his or her arrival.

Julie’s children grew up and eventually attended various colleges and universities, where they made deep friendships with others. Julie threw her home open to any and all friends of hers, of her husband’s, and of her children’s. Julie loved to cook for such guests in their home. Soon thereafter, her children found future spouses of their own. When Julie first met each of these future spouses – Justin’s Kirstie, Jenna’s Ben, and Johnny’s Allison, she immediately gushed with approval. Perhaps Julie could sense goodness from the souls of these new family members. Joseph’s Katie is at risk of becoming family, as Julie has gushed with approval of her. As day follows night, grandchildren began arriving. Julie absolutely adored her grandchildren – Rosalie, Oliver, Daniel, Marissa, and Peter. Julie studied each of these little ones, so that she could shower them with gifts that would delight them. She loved buying Rosalie princess gowns, bows, and tiaras, as that is how Rosalie sees herself. She loved buying cars, trucks, and Thomas the Tank engines for little Oliver, and she delighted in Oliver being a little copy, both in image and personality, of her son, Justin. She would carry “Baby Beluga” with her every time she visited Daniel, and Daniel would immediately ask upon her arrival if she had “Baby Beluga.” Julie loved hearing Daniel refer to his grandparents as Ma and Pa. She was absolutely enamored with Marissa’s dainty demeaner and chipmunk-like babbling. Both Marissa and Julie had a shared love for baby animals. Julie relished Peter’s joyful smile and his captivating, brown-eyed gaze. Julie loved holding Peter as she particularly delighted in the littlest ones. As with her own children, Julie especially loved reading to these little ones and preparing art projects for them.

We pray and hope that Julie will be reunited with her family in heaven – her mom and dad, her four miscarried children – Peter, Jacinta, Jocelyn, and Jamie, and her three miscarried grandchildren – Bernadette, Shiloh, and Marie. Lord Jesus, welcome Julie into the joy of your presence.

Visitation Thursday, July 17, 2025, 4-7PM at Gearty-Delmore Plymouth Chapel, 15800 37th Ave N.  Mass of Christian Burial 11 AM Friday, July 18, 2025, at The Church of St. Anne, 200 Hamel Rd, Hamel, MN 55340.  Interment St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery, Osseo.