JULIE STAPLETON WARD

Julie Stapleton Ward, 46, of Durham, NC, passed away Sunday, February 16, 2020.

Julie was a 1992 graduate of J. J. Kelly High School in Wise, Virginia and a 1996 graduate of Radford University in Radford, Virginia. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Biology, Julie moved to Norfolk, Virginia and then settled in Durham, North Carolina, where she worked for years as a cytogenetic technician. Later, she worked for the only avian veterinarian on the East Coast, a job that brought her much happiness. She deeply loved nature and all its animals and felt great pain in their tragedies and injustices. She volunteered her time caring for animals at Duke University’s Lemur Center and her local animal shelters.

She learned SCUBA diving and swam with dolphins and manatees. She went to Australia to hold a koala. She enjoyed walking her dogs, Max, Billie, and then Gus. She enjoyed her travelling adventures with her family and her husband.

She will be remembered for her vibrant blue eyes, her bright, happy smile, and her infectious giggle. She had the kindest of souls and the rare ability to make every person in the room feel like the most important person in the room. Julie was a precious, albeit far too temporary, gift to this Earth and a beloved daughter, sister, friend and wife.

Julie was preceded in death by her father, Wilson Stapleton and her brother, Milton Stapleton.

Those left behind to mourn her loss include her mother, Shirley Stapleton of Wise, VA; sister, Jenny Salyers of Duffield, VA; niece, Markie Mullins, of California; best friends since childhood, Pam Hall Baker of Coeburn, VA and Kate Rouse Campbell of Charles Town, WV; husband Ryan Ward of Durham, NC; and so many who loved her, including aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and coworkers.

Julie requested no services be held, but her ashes will be spread in her favorite place, the ocean.