Obit: Voytovich, Julie Ann (1940 - 2017)

Transcriber: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Klarr, Shakun, Victory, Voytovich

----Source: WIGM/WKEB Obituaries (Medford, WI) 12/18/2017

Voytovich, Julie Ann (Victory) (26 SEP 1940 - 16 DEC 2017)

Julie Ann Voytovich, 77 of Gilman passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, December 16th, 2017.

Julie Ann Victory was born on September 26, 1940, the oldest of three children of George and Julia Victory, in Gilman Wisconsin. She is survived by two younger brothers, Donald of Bloomer, Wisconsin, and Thomas, who still cares for the family farm, in Gilman Wisconsin.

Julie grew up on the family farm near Gilman, and met Tony Voytovich, son of a farming family in nearby Huron, Wisconsin, outside of Stanley.

Both families came from Slavic heritage and the Uniate Church in Eastern Europe. In immigrating to the United States, The Voytovich family embraced the Orthodox Christian Faith, and the Victory family Roman Catholicism. Julie converted to the Orthodox Faith before she and Tony were married on August 4, 1962.

Tony and Julie moved first to Minneapolis, Minnesota where their children Steven (1963) and Anne Louise (1965) were born, and then the family moved to New Brighton in 1967, where they resided for many years. Tony and Julie started out working together as Real Estate Agents, for then Bermel-Smaby Realtors. Steven and Anne spent many hours with mom and dad at open houses and going door to door with advertising items for the real estate firm.

The family attended St. Mary Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis where Tony and Julie served as choir members, and celebrated most of the feast days at St. John’s Church, in Huron, Wisconsin, where often-times the family sang the four part Divine Liturgy responses together.

Time spent together with extended family (on both sides!) in Wisconsin and Minnesota is among the fondest memories for the whole family! Later on, Tony began working as a real estate appraiser before being diagnosed with cancer. He was surrounded by his family during the eight years he battled with this illness that took his life on July 6, 1989.

Julie spent the next number of years working for Universal Title Association until retirement, and then she was called back for additional years of service due to her vast knowledge of real estate and ability to work with all people involved in closing real estate transactions. Finally as the company underwent tremendous change, she fully retired. During this time she built a home next to the family farm in Gilman with the initial intention that her parents would retire there. Julie traveled with friends on several occasions, to Alaska, and abroad.

Her son Steven married Cindy (Shakun) on September 2, 1990, and they reside in Guilford CT. Steven was ordained an Orthodox priest on July 5, 1992, and after serving as pastor of St. Alexis Church in Clinton, CT for 15 years from its days as a mission (where Julie was known from her visits), with Cindy directing the choir and remaining active in the greater Orthodox Church. Fr. Steven is currently serving as Dean of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in South
Canaan, PA, and Cindy manages the Multicare Medical Practice in Hartford, CT.

Her daughter Anne studied Veterinary Medicine, becoming a Veterinarian, working in existing practices and doing private animal care. She married Attorney John Del Vecchio on May 25, 1996. They adopted two children from Russia, Anna, and Alexei, residing in St. Paul, MN.

Julie cherished her time with her grandchildren! This is all the more true as the Del Vecchio family recently purchased a second home, in Lublin, Wisconsin, as Anne works as a Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian for the US Department of Agriculture, her position is based in that area. John has assisted many in his law practice in addition to teaching Law at St. Thomas in St. Paul. He was also called upon by Julie to assist some of her real estate clients over the years.

On their tenth wedding anniversary in 2000, Fr. Steven and Cindy invited Julie to come to Aruba to celebrate with them at their timeshare. She enjoyed the experience and has been traveling to
Aruba each year since then to spend time with her son and daughter-in-law, and to be warmed by the Caribbean sun.

Most recently Julie moved from New Brighton into the home she had built in Gilman, and has faithfully served as the choir director at St. John’s Church for many years in dedication to this small church community. She and her brother Tom have remained close in watching over one another as neighbors. May her memory be eternal.

Funeral services will be at 11AM on Saturday, December 23, 2017 at St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church-Huron (rural Stanley, WI.), Father Herman Klarr officiating.

Burial will follow in the Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-7 PM on Friday at the Gilman Funeral Home with a 7PM Panikhida Service. Visitation will continue on Saturday from 10AM until time of service at the Church.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Tikhon’s Seminary, P.O. Box 130 South Canaan, PA, 18459.