Julia McGinnis

MCGINNIS (Puddicombe), Julia Elizabeth

Julia Elizabeth Puddicombe McGinnis, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on September 19, 2025, at the age of 91 in Atlanta, GA. Born on June 18, 1934, in Ottawa, Ontario, to Clare Morris Puddicombe and John Francis Heins Puddicombe, Julia was the adored sister of Dave, Paul (her twin), and Bob. Her father, Dr. Puddicombe, famously delivered Princess Margriet, the daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, during World War II when the royal family resided in Canada.

Beautiful both inside and out, Julia had a passion for socializing with family and friends, loved planning and attending parties, and had a flair for jewelry, jokes, dogs, 5 pm cocktails, and lipstick.

Her upbringing with three brothers instilled a playful sense of humor and a resilient spirit that sustained her even in her later years when she bravely faced dementia.

Julia attended Muchmore Elementary and Glebe Collegiate High School in Ottawa before studying at McGill University and the Royal Victoria Hospital School of Nursing in Montreal, where she met her husband, Dr. LaMar S. McGinnis, Jr. After a brief courtship, they married in Ottawa on June 29, 1957, and lived in Texas and New York before settling in Atlanta in 1963.

Julia and LaMar raised four children, Scott, Chris, Susie, and Katie, in a Williamsburg-style house by the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta, which they designed, built, and lived in for 47 years. While LaMar pursued his surgical practice and professional obligations, Julia devoted herself to raising their children almost singlehandedly, displaying her love through her unwavering dedication to their upbringing. She spent countless hours in the family station wagon, attending sporting events, designing Halloween costumes, helping with homework, cooking supper, and putting her special touches on the family's beloved cottage on Lake Burton. Julia was the chief cheerleader and consultant for all her children's diverse endeavors and life paths, nurturing them with love, care, and, as always, a little bit of worry.

She was an accomplished ALTA tennis player and also served as president of the Canadian Women's Club of Atlanta, as secretary of the vestry of St Anne's Episcopal Church, the Women's Auxiliary of the DeKalb Medical Society, and as president of the Cottage Garden Club.

Julia and LaMar were married for 68 years and had four children: LaMar Scott III (Roline), of Charlotte, NC, Christopher John (Barkley Dean), of Palm Springs, CA, Susan Beth (Karen Beardslee), of Decatur, GA, and Katherine Lee (James) Knight, of Sandy Springs, GA. She was also a cherished grandmother to William LaMar McGinnis (Katie), of Charlotte, NC, Hamilton Scott McGinnis, of Atlanta, John Adair McGinnis (Molly), of New York, NY, Julia Elizabeth Knight and James Lunderman Knight III, both of Atlanta; and great-grandmother to William Wesley McGinnis, Turner LaMar McGinnis and Robert Worth McGinnis, from Charlotte.

Please join the family for a celebration of Julia's life at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Atlanta on Saturday, November 8 at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name to your local Humane Society are appreciated.