Our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, auntie, cousin and friend passed away peacefully in Puyallup, Washington. Julie was born in Mountain Village, Alaska, to Leo and Mabel Esmailka Demoski. She was raised in the subsistence lifestyle in Nulato AK until her mother Mabel passed away when she was six years old. Her father later remarried to add cherished siblings to the family.

Julie grew up in the Girl’s Dormitory in Holy Cross and graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe High School in 1957. She soon met William J. Henry in Fairbanks AK while on a training exercise from Fort Lewis WA. They were married in Tacoma, WA in 1959 and daughter Lisa was born shortly after. Julie later married Roger W. Smith in 1961 and they welcomed daughter Viki to the family.

Family life was busy for Julie with her daughter’s activities whether it was school events, Girl Scouts, music, dance and sports! She assisted dad with his softball and basketball teams, often as the scorekeeper and was passionate about any wrong calls made by the referees. She was our number one fan!

Besides growing up with friends, Mom often said the only good she got out of the Mission School was receiving a good education and learning to knit and sew. And boy could she knit and sew! Her daughters, when young grew up with matching sewn outfits and often mistaken for twins. They and others were recipients of Halloween costumes growing up. Later, she knitted dresses, sweaters, scarves and blankets for her family. She hated making mistakes and ripping out stitches, but she wasn’t happy until things turned out perfectly. Her work was beautiful and remains as treasured mementos today.

Mom was a voracious reader and passed the love of reading to her daughters. Related to her reading, she was a skilled speaker and writer and took creative writing classes from time to time. She didn’t pursue being published but she was good enough to have her stories in print. She had many other interests such as card games, especially bridge, playing pool and even tried her hand at racquetball and softball but her favorite was music and dancing. She loved all kinds of music from classical, jazz, classic rock and old-time rock-n-roll. And she could dance all night if she could. But her favorite was always Elvis. The family remembers vividly her grief and remorse when Elvis died, and we can recite most of his lyrics by heart.

Mom loved her daughters, grandchildren and great grands fiercely. She spent many years babysitting, going on outings, attending school and sports events and visiting family near and far. If she couldn’t visit, she kept up with everyone’s activities as best she could.

Although mom settled in Tacoma, she loved her family in Alaska just as much and visited frequently in her younger years often with suitcases and makeup in tow as she loved to

dress up and be fashionable. She stayed connected with siblings, aunties, nieces and nephews, cousins and friends by phone and Facebook until she couldn’t. She loved to reminisce and share stories and gossip with all.

Right at the top with family, mom loved her Maltese dog, Misty just as much. Lisa gave Misty to her for her 60th birthday. No one has seen a more pampered, loved and beautifully groomed dog such as hers. However, Misty was a vicious dog who frequently bit visitors, and mom often ignored it. That dog lived for 17 years and it broke Mom’s heart when Misty died. Lisa raised a pup from one of Misty’s litters and bred that pup later and kept another one. Mom showered her love on those descendants (all well-behaved) of Misty and was very saddened when they too passed.

Julie spent most of her career as a bookkeeper at Tacoma Community College, University of Puget Sound, and Bates Technical College. She was a hard worker from a young age by helping her mom around the cabin, to the work she provided for the Mission School, vacation relief for different hospitals along with cashiering and bartending in Alaska. She later took on being a live in babysitter and house cleaner with baby Lisa and a nurse’s aide at a nursing home with young family Roger and Viki. She held many part-time jobs including secretary and teacher’s aide for Clover Park School District, clerk for the Tacoma Public Library; cashier in the toy department at Penney’s; credit clerk at Sears during the holidays; a program aide for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, secretary for McCann Construction Company and teller and bookkeeper at Bank of California. She retired from Bates where she made her closest friends with hilarious shared stories.

Life changed for mom and our family when she embraced sobriety and became a nearly four-decade friend of Bill W. She built new friendships and was frequently asked to give advice, provide encouragement, and recount her experiences. Yet she stayed connected with old friends that didn’t share her new lifestyle. Our family is extremely proud of her work and commitment to a new life.

Mom was smart, sassy, beautiful and memorable! Everyone who cared for her, as well as those fortunate enough to know her, will feel her absence deeply. She will always be loved and remembered.

Julie is predeceased by parents Leo and Mabel Demoski, brothers, Leo, Donald, Edwin, Ignatius, Harry, Randolph, Ralph and Floyd, sister Johanna and beloved grandson Carlos. She is survived by brother Peter Demoski (Janice) and Josephine McGinty (Morris) of Nulato Alaska, daughters Lisa Reeves (Doyle), Puyallup WA and Viki Aney (Mark), Moses Lake WA. Grandchildren Stevi Kast (Brian), Mick Aney (Serena), Sabrina Flores (Brian) and Sierra Reeves. Great-grandchildren Brayden, Graycie, Samuel and Lorenzo. The family thanks

Advent Adult Family Home for their loving care of Mom this past year and the professional and compassionate care provided by her primary physician Dr. Joel Estrada.

For Julie’s service dates and times, please contact family directly.