The world lost one of its sweetest souls on June 6, 2023. Julie Marie (Sundell) Demain of Easton, PA, slipped away in tranquility at 80 years old in the wee hours, just as the sky was lit by an intense strawberry moon.

Julie has joined her husband, Robert “Bob” J. Demain, who died in 1995 and was madly in love with her. This is a proven, official fact, because he once sent her a notarized letter to declare it. The feeling was mutual.

Born of Norwegian and Swedish parents in Chicago, this Scandinavian beauty had the strength of a Viking queen as she endured her difficult ailments, as well as the warmth of a sandy beach on Oahu. Hawaii was one of her favorites among the many places she lived throughout her unconventional life. Others included Los Angeles – where she and three friends moved from Chicago, just for fun, in their early twenties – Utah (for one brief semester), New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Julie was known to the very end for her deep generosity to everyone – from family to neighbors to health-care staff. She gave freely of smiles, compliments and appreciation (not to mention Swiss chocolate provided by her daughter).

She was a lover of libraries and travel, whether that meant a jaunt to the Jersey Shore to seek seashells, an impromptu road trip down the East Coast with an AAA guide, or adventures all over Europe. Games were another favorite: board games and puzzles, playing anything from pinochle to Mastermind to Sudoko. Each of her seven grandchildren is fortunate to have memories of special game sessions and sleepovers with Grandma, which usually included a steady supply of snacks, Gobstopper candies and hugs, and occasionally making her famous fudge or doing crafts.

Other times, Julie could be found cheering on her grandchildren during their sporting events, concerts, school graduations, and other milestones. And when she couldn’t be in the stands because of distance or her health, she still made sure they knew she was their biggest fan.

Throughout her life, Julie took on a variety of work and volunteer positions, always putting in 105%: She worked (and pulled many an office prank) at an ‘insurance company of the stars’ in L.A.; served NJ’s best subs together with her husband, Bob, as co-owners of the Old York Deli in Bradley Gardens; was leader of her daughters’ Girl Scout troops; comforted patients and their families as a Certified Nursing Assistant; and volunteered at the former Easton Hospital.

She is survived, and already sorely missed, by her three daughters and their families: Maria McKee of Easton with her husband Dean, son and daughter-in-law Sean and Alyssa, and daughter Erika; Beth Bayley of Mettmenstetten, Switzerland, with her husband Grant, daughters Gwendolyn (and her father Oliver), and Vivienne, and son Alistair; and Suzanne Stengele of Williamsburg, VA, with husband Bill and daughters Julia and Gabrielle and Julia’s daughter Opal.

Julie’s family looks forward to a celebration of her life with dear relatives and friends on July 23 in Easton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago, where Julie spent about nine months as a child with rheumatic fever, or to an organization supporting women’s rights and health – an issue she was passionate about.

To honor her memory additionally, do what she is no longer able to: Do something kind for others; for example, smile at someone or pay them a compliment, offer them a butterscotch or some chocolate (even if it’s not Swiss), or give them a copy of your favorite book. Be the aloha you wish to see in the world.

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