Julie left this world on her 77th birthday after a courageous two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. She was a devoted mother and wife, a lover of animals and the outdoors, and a very sweet person beloved by people who knew her. Her kindness and smile were radiant.
Julie is survived by her husband of 52 years, Randy, daughter Lisa of Leawood, KS, daughter Leslie of Overland Park, KS, and her 3 nieces Ashley, Holley, and Kalley Dacone of Minneapolis, MN. She was proceeded in death by her mother, Gertrude, her father Walter, and brother Steve.
Julie was born in Feldafing, Germany to Walter and Gertrude Dacone, both displaced by World War II. She came to the United States as an infant and was raised in Evanston, Illinois. She loved fishing in Lake Michigan with her father, playing the accordion, and driving her blue Buick Skylark convertible.
She was an excellent student, and earned scholarships so she could attend Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where she met Randy. She graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in biology. She worked at BioTest Laboratories until she married Randy in 1974. They moved to Peoria, Illinois where she became a medical technologist. Through a series of business transfers, they moved to Springfield, Illinois in 1975, where Lisa was born in 1978. After a brief stint back in the Chicago area, the family moved to Overland Park, Kansas in 1980, where Julie spent the rest of her life.
Daughter Leslie arrived in 1981. Julie was able to stay at home with her children and was actively involved in all their activities, including Girl Scout leader, dance recitals, cheerleading, and horse whispering.
Julie relished family trips during the school years, including snow skiing over Martin Luther King Day, Spring Break trips, and longer trips right before school started in mid-August. Traveling with Randy and friends in her later years was also one of her favorite things, and they were blessed to visit most of the United States as well as Scotland, Germany, and Italy.
She was an avid football fan, following all teams and keeping meticulous notes and records of each player and game. But she was always rooting for her Kansas City Chiefs. She was also coaxed into entering NCAA basketball pools. Although she claimed to know nothing about the teams, she proceeded to win the pool several times over the years.
Julie returned to work as the girls went to college, spending 15 years as a Health and Beauty department manager at the local Hen House grocery store until her retirement in 2014.
Her greatest love was staying home and taking care of Randy, their beautiful home and yard, pets, and the girls. She always tended her rose bushes and had flowers all over the front porch and back deck in the spring. No matter what creature the girls wanted to care for, she was always an enthusiastic participant and welcomed all kinds of things – turtles, frogs, fish, rats, a horse, etc. into the family. Randy remained her number one priority though, and she was always there for him. She will be deeply missed and remembered always.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, or the charity of your choice.
A Celebration of Life will be 2:00 - 4:00 pm on Thursday, September 24 at Porter Funeral Home, 8535 Monrovia Avenue, Lenexa, KS.