With deep love and sorrow, we announce the passing of Julie Catherine (Pugliarissi) Craft, a cherished sister and devoted aunt, whose warmth and kindness touched the lives of all who knew her.

Born on September 8, 1943 to the late Andrew S. and Emma Y. Pugliarissi, Julie was born in San Francisco. Her family later moved to Redwood City where she spent most of her childhood, and she attended Sequoia High School for three years before another move to Silicon Valley, where she graduated from Fremont High School in Sunnyvale in 1961. Julie enjoyed an almost three decades career in personnel and benefits roles at Hewlett-Packard, while also operating a long-time side-job selling Mary Kay cosmetics.

 She is survived by her sisters and brothers-in-law, Andrea and Jerry Nieto of Sunnyvale, and Cathy and David Nieto of Washington, DC, and their children: nephews Jan and his wife Angelica Nieto of Acampo, CA, Steven Nieto of Sunnyvale, Michael Nieto of Washington, DC, and niece Jennifer Nieto Carey of Washington, DC, and her great-nephews Andrew Nieto of Acampo and Jack Carey of Washington, DC.

Julie is also survived by her Pugliarissi and Mirabelli cousins and many friends. She will be remembered for her fierce independence, resilience, and humor, and the quiet ways she made the world a better place. Although she faced a number of serious health challenges in the past decade, including diabetes, breast cancer and a severe spinal cord injury, she left this world peacefully and on her own terms, surrounded by family on March 28, 2026. She was 82.

Though she is no longer with us, her spirit lives on in the lives she shaped, the memories she created (“Charlie’s Kitchen,” preparing gravy and bringing her famous cheese balls to family events, taking her niece and nephews to Great America, introducing younger generations to her favorite musicians, Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand, and spending family weekends at the beach in Aptos or weekends in Paradise, to name a few), and the love she gave so freely.

She is deeply missed and forever loved.

A private service will be held by family. 

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations made in Julie’s memory to any of the following organizations: American Diabetes Association, American Spinal Injury Alliance (ASIA), or BREM Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer.

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