Julia Engram

Family-Placed Death Notice

JULIA MAE TYE ENGRAM Julia Mae Tye Engram, a resident of Sparks Inn Retirement Center in Christian City, passed away on November 28, 2006 at the age of ninety. A girl with a Southern heritage is assured of at least two names at birth, thus Julia Mae was christened, one of seven children born to Oscar and Elizabeth Tye. Spending her childhood in Edison, Georgia, she and her four sisters and two brothers enjoyed a rural, cotton-and-peanut dominated south Georgia community where the pace was languid and the small town flavor rich with culture. The child of a surgeon, Julia Mae and her siblings were motivated early in life to pursue careers, and after high school, she attended Wesleyan and Andrew College. However, before entering the world of work, her head was turned by a young man from Ft. Gaines. Irby Dell Engram; son of a farmer and school teacher, met Julia Mae, and the flame was sparked. Married in 1937, the newlyweds lived in Weston, Georgia where her husband was a school principal. Later they moved to Bluffton, Georgia, where he again served as a school principal. Then in 1946 they moved to Douglas, Georgia, where he became Dean of Faculty of South Georgia College. During these years, they had three children: Irby Dell Engram, Jr. of Rabun County, whose late wife Beverly was a state senator; Tye Engram of Fayette County, and Julie Parmer of Atlanta. Other members of her family include three grandchildren, Leigh Ann, David, and Derek; and four great grandchildren: Megan, Andrew, Skyler, and Hunter. Having raised a family in Douglas and having remained at home to provide the parental guidance necessary, she returned to school at Valdosta State College to renew her teaching certification in physical education, took a position as a physical education coach, and completed twenty years of teaching. In 1975, after her husband retired from South Georgia College, he and Julia Mae moved to Fairburn, Georgia, to be closer to their children. It was with this move that she became Julia to her friends, and Mae seemed to vanish. Unable to separate herself from teaching, she continued her career with the Fayette County School System for the next seven years. In 1983, with the death of her husband, Julia returned to what she loved best, teaching, as a substitute. Setting her clock at 5 a.m., she spent the day with children and her evenings at choir practice or in the Omni, rooting for the Atlanta Hawks, who honored her at center court for having held season tickets longer than any other fan in the history of their NBA franchise, whereby she was presented an official team jersey autographed by all of the players, coaches, and owners. Her interest in sports evolved from having been a four year starter for the Edison High School girls' basketball team where she was the leading scorer. This family trait continued, as she watched her daughter Julie set an AAA basketball scoring record at Coffee County High School, and after moving to Fairburn, watching her grandsons become captains of their respective golf and tennis teams. In later years she often told her family, "Don't refer to me as Julia Mae, just Julia; all of my friends call me Julia." The following is the response from her family: "Julia Mae, a woman of Southern gentility always has at least two Christian names, and your gentility, gentleness, kindness, spirt, love for life, love for people, love for sports, compassion, understanding, and insight demand that we maintain our Southern heritage and honor you with both names Julia Mae Tye Engram- a teacher, a friend, a dedicated Christian, a child of God, whose amazing Grace truly stood the test of time, and most of all a loving mother and grandmother." A long life is still too short, and her family and friends will miss Julia Mae. Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 2, 2006 at 10:30 o'clock at First United Methodist Church of Fairburn, Dr. Jay Hodges, Rev. Vicki Smith and Rev. Tom Dews officiating. Interment services will be held at Wesley Chapel Cemetery in Ft. Gaines, Georgia at 4:00 p.m. Those wishing may send an online condolence at www.parrottfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, those desiring may make donations to the First United Methodist Church of Fairburn, 5 Washington Street, Fairburn, GA 30213. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 5:00 until 7:30 p.m. at Parrott Funeral Home, Fairburn, 770-964-4800.