Julie Suzanne Walton McCormick was born on May 2, 1964, the eldest child to her late parents, Joseph Lanier Walton and Mary Duanne Self Walton. She passed away on November 11, 2024.

She was the 6th successive generation of her family to call Northwest Georgia home. She graduated from Coosa High School in 1982 and subsequently followed in both of her parents' footsteps to study at Berry College, where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1986. She then studied biology at Georgia Southern University, where her summers were proudly spent dissecting hagfish at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor, ME. She graduated with a Masters of Science Degree in 1990 and became a teacher at East Rome High School, Rome High School, and then Armuchee High School, where she taught all levels of high school biology. During her early career, she met Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Lane McCormick, a local hematologist-oncologist. They married on July 17, 1993, and experienced a 31 year role-model marriage: one of joy, faith, courage, support, and fundamentally, one built on a steadfast bedrock of love. After a hiatus from teaching to build her family, Julie resumed teaching at the middle school level at Saint Mary's Catholic School, where she taught Earth Science, biology, and physical science for an additional 15 years. Julie was a beloved teacher. The lives she touched through teaching alone, directly and indirectly, are countless, and the impact she had on the young people of Rome-Floyd County cannot be measured. Julie was a tireless beacon of support, in and out of the classroom, for her students, and once they became her students in the classroom, they were her students thereafter.

Beyond teaching, Julie was a selfless Christian who truly believed that her unyielding faith in Jesus Christ, inherited from her parents, was worthless except for performing good deeds. She was active on all levels at her church, the Rome First Baptist Church, where she had been a member since she was baptized at 11 years old. She was proud to be a Sunday school teacher for both the youth and the pre-school. She was a life deacon and was the chair of deacons from 2016-2017. She was on countless committees-including, but not limited to, the missions, personnel, stewardship, pre-school, and pastor search committees. She traveled with the church to be God's hands in action in places such as Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Peru, teaching the youth on these missions valuable lessons that they could then use to serve their communities at home. She was an active, tireless volunteer through countless means and avenues in the community. She leveraged her positions with the church to be an influential and essential factor in establishing and maintaining several community organizations, including the Koinonia soup kitchen, the Davies' Homeless Shelters with her cherished aunt Susan Self Seagraves, and the Bridges out of Poverty programs. She saw the humanity of all people, including and especially, those often considered the least, the last, and the overlooked. She strove for justice and equity. She strove to promote peace and build up her cherished community of Rome to withstand the turbulent tests of time. She was a rare light of unconditional love and joy in this world, and the Rome community will forever be changed because of her. Her life was led with wisdom, unyielding optimism, and a commitment to pursue excellence without perfection.

Julie is survived by her husband, Dr. Jerry McCormick. She is also survived by her children, Dr. Winston Lane McCormick and Mary Jo McCormick, Angela Sue McCormick Culberson, Benjamin Jay McCormick, Andrew Warwick McCormick, Megan Ann McCormick, her children in-law, Stephen Culberson and Virginia Jones McCormick, her grandchildren, Corrina Anne McCormick and Connor Lane McCormick, her brother, Joseph (Josh) Lanier Walton, Jr., and many beloved extended family.

For those who have been blessed to know Julie and wish to make a donation to express their support for the family during this difficult time and in remembrance of her, the family requests that donations be made to the First Baptist Church of Rome Foundation or to the Saint Mary's Catholic School.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, November 15, 2024, at 1:00pm at First Baptist Church, 100 East Fourth Ave. Rome, GA 30161 with Pastor David Brooks officiating. The family will receive friends after the service at the church.

Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, North Chapel, is honored to serve the family of Julie Suzanne Walton McCormick.