Born on May 19, 1932, Julia, or "Judy" as her family called her, lived on High Street in Yonkers, New York, for the first years of her life with her parents, Julia Virginia Downing Bolger Garnjost and William Tecumseh Sherman Garnjost, her older brother Paul Frederick Garnjost and her grandfather Frederick August Garnjost.

When she was nine years old, Judy went away to a Catholic boarding school, and she continued at boarding school through her high school graduation. She attended Newton College of the Sacred Heart until she left school to marry John Henry Lannen. Judy, now "Julie," had three daughters in less than three years: Jill (Julia III), Jane and Jody. Five years after Jody's birth, her son John was born. Julie told everyone who would listen that her children were her "four angels." 

After years at home raising her children, Julie took her first job at Bloomingdale's in Tysons Corner when John was in high school. She loved the store and the people she worked with. Her job and her coworkers were great support to her as she waged a battle against Stage 3 breast cancer in 1990. While still undergoing cancer treatment, her husband left her.

Julie (now sometimes "Julia") didn't just survive cancer and her divorce, she thrived. She found new strength in independence. She started traveling—sometimes just taking the Metro to Washington, DC, something she'd never done before. Eventually, she took trips with Elder Hostel, meeting her great friend Joyce on her first trip to Richmond and traveling with her for a number of years after that to Philadelphia, Savannah, Charleston and more. Julia went on a cruise to Alaska, and with her children she finally flew to Europe on trips to Ireland and England and to Egypt—things she'd always dreamt about doing.

After selling the home where she brought up her children, Julia bought a condominium in Falls Church. She called it her "palace," and she took great pleasure in having her first home of her own. She liked to play music (John Philip Sousa's marches and Big Band numbers were favorites) and dance around her living room. She took great pride in keeping her condo in pristine condition and in decorating for the holidays. She was a dedicated invester and careful spender of her income and took to saying, "I'm the CEO of me."

Happily, Julia had many good years in her condo before signs of Alzheimer's became evident. She lived at the Tall Oaks Assisted Living in Reston for the last years of her life. While Alzheimer's frightened and depressed her, Julia had loving children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to help keep her laughing and talking through the end.

We miss her terribly, but we are grateful she is at peace. In the words of Irving Berlin, one her favorite composers, "The song is ended, but the melody lingers on."