Julia Bristow

Julia A. Bristow NORFOLK - Julia Atwater Bristow, artist, writer and founder and first president of The Butterfly Society of Virginia, died May 18, 2010. A native and resident of Norfolk and a twelfth generation Virginian, she was the daughter of Arthur Brantly Bristow and Julia Maude Prichard Bristow. For many years she maintained a second home in Nags Head, then in Virginia Beach, and more recently in Quinby on the Eastern Shore. A graduate of Maury High School, Ms. Bristow attended Sweet Briar College and was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of The College of William and Mary. She worked for the Navy for 30 years as a writer/ editor, principally at the Naval Safety Center. At the time of her retirement, she was the editor of the Navy's and the Air Force's occupational Safety and health magazine, Lifeline. She edited the Virginia Butterfly Bulletin for its first five years. She was in charge of books on the committee which established the Botanical Garden Gift Shop, reorganized the Fred Heutte Library at the Botanical Garden, and was in charge of its volunteers for a number of years. A book reviewer for The Virginian-Pilot and the Botanical Garden Society Bulletin for many years, Ms. Bristow also wrote and painted for both Ford Times Magazine and the Ford Times Cookbooks. She travelled widely in the United States and abroad. At various times in her long life, she was an officer or board member in Tidewater Artists, Norfolk chapter William and Mary Alumni Association, Irene Leache Memorial, Norfolk Botanical Garden Society, where she originated the society's annual Gardeners in their Gardens Tour, and was its first chairman, English Speaking Union, Hermitage Museum Auxiliary, Friends of the Norfolk Public Library, and friend of the Swem Library at William and Mary. She was also a member of The Norfolk Society of Arts, Friends of the Jean Outland Chrysler Library where she volunteered for many years, Virginia chapter of the Nature Conservancy, Virginia Native Plant Society, Virginia Coast Reserve, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Elizabeth River Project, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Jamestown Society. A professional watercolorist, Ms. Bristow exhibited in many juried shows in Virginia and elsewhere, including the Audubon Artists Annual in New York and the Painting of the Year and the Southeastern shows in Atlanta. Her work won many awards and was featured in a two-person show and a three- person in the Virginia Museum in Richmond. She held a certificate of distinction and purchase prize from a Virginia Museum Biennial and purchase prizes from the Valentine Museum in Richmond and then Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences. Her paintings are in both private and corporate collections. Ms. Bristow is survived by two nephews, John B. Bristow of Dallas, Texas and Thomas B. Bristow of Alhambra, Calif. and their families; her sister-in-law, Mrs. A.B. Bristow Jr. of Orinda, Calif.; and a number of cousins. According to her wishes, no services are planned. Memorials may be made to the Bristow Butterfly Garden at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, the Julia Atwater Bristow Scholarship fund at the Norfolk Foundation, or a charity of choice.