Julie Jo Guiler

Julie Jo Guiler (née Guth), 64, passed away on June 12, 2026, in Lexington, South Carolina, surrounded by the family she fiercely loved. Julie was born August 18, 1961, in Brazil, Indiana, to Joseph and Janet (Knoll) Guth.

Julie grew up in Bellville and Lexington, Ohio, where she met the love of her life, Robert "Rob" Guiler, in high school when their alphabetically-assigned lockers put them next to each other and with a little encouragement from Julie’s mother, who invited Rob over for pie. Julie and Rob married at eighteen and spent more than forty-six years building a life together as best friends and constant companions. They embraced every adventure side by side, making homes in Ohio, New Mexico, Texas, California, and South Carolina.

Julie and Rob settled in Johnstown, Ohio, to raise their children, Kate and Joe, where they became integral members of the community. What started as a library aide position at a local elementary school led Julie to a nearly 30-year career in education, during which she earned a degree in Special Education from Western Governors University and became a beloved and highly effective special education teacher. Julie firmly believed that every child was capable of learning and deserved someone who believed in them.

Above all else, Julie loved her people. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, teacher, and friend. Julie especially adored her big, loud, hilarious family and deeply loved Rob, Kate, Joe, and her siblings, nieces, and nephews. While disagreements and strong personalities were never in short supply, Julie sought to be the glue that held everyone together.

Julie expressed love through action. Family and friends will remember her Christmas baking, her famous homemade breakfasts, Gingerbread Weekend, and the beautiful quilts she created for family. Nothing brought her greater joy than watching her own family grow, first as Kate and Joe married, and Julie welcomed her son-in-law Zach and daughter-in-law Kim with deep love, and later as ‘Grammy’ to Sophie, Ben, Libby, and Charlie. She delighted in reading stories, sharing family traditions, singing treasured lullabies, watching them learn, and creating special memories with the children she adored.

Hardworking, adventurous, and delightfully impatient, Julie had a gift for making any task fun. She was a life-long learner and loved hiking, cycling, exploring new places, watching her kids, grandkids, and favorite college teams play basketball, and visiting family wherever life took them. She especially loved the beauty of the American Southwest, finding joy and wonder in places like the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico and the Grand Canyon. Julie will be remembered for her laughter, her funny and dramatic stories, and the way she made people feel deeply loved.

Julie's family will celebrate her life later this summer. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Julie's memory are encouraged to make a donation in her name to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance | OCRA.