Julie Ray

Julie Ray
07/28/2024
Julia (Julie) Ray grew up in a small rural town in Iowa, where her dad owned the local grocery store and Julie developed a lifelong love and compassion for animals, neighbors and community. From the time of her first summer job at Vacation Village on her beloved Lake Okoboji, Julie learned how to excel at jobs that she was otherwise unqualified for by forming authentic relationships and working extremely hard to prove herself.
After high school, Julie went to Simpson College, where she met and married Gary Pat Ray in 1963. Pat joined the military and they moved to Denver, where they had two children, Kimberly Ray Krupnick and Bradley Fitzpatrick Ray. In search of a job when she was seven months pregnant with Kim, Julie convinced Phyllis Schuldberg, the owner of a Denver women's clothing boutique, to hire her by promising to catch shoplifters. This led to a lifelong friendship between Julie and Phyllis that became a chosen family when the Schuldbergs gave Julie a home after Brad was born with spina bifida while Pat was stationed in Japan during the Vietnam War.
Another military move led Julie to San Francisco, where she and Pat raised Kim and Brad on the Presidio. There, Julie cultivated her entrepreneurial spirit, selling redwood coffee tables, vintage Mercedes Benz cars, and Maxfield Parrish paintings. Always a trailblazer, she became a disability rights advocate, in the days before the ADA, working tirelessly for inclusive educational and recreational opportunities for Brad. In the process, Julie organized the construction of a state-of-the-art accessible playground at Alamo Elementary School.
After her divorce from Pat, Julie launched a successful career as a real estate agent. As a single mom armed with hope, love, luck and mostly hard work, Julie bought and renovated a rundown old row house, while simultaneously getting her real estate license. Julie earned the respect and loyalty of clients and colleagues who were impressed with her integrity and dedication throughout her 40-year career in real estate.
In 1997, Julie met the love of her life, Jordie Welles. The couple spent much of their time traveling to Paris and to their second home in Santa Fe, where they delighted in family and became extraordinary grandparents to Veronica and Destiny Krupnick. Julie surrounded herself with beauty in both of her homes, and truly loved her wonderful community of friends in San Francisco and Santa Fe, where she enjoyed quiet mornings listening to bird songs, going for long bike rides, walking her beloved dogs Toby and Tulip, and entertaining in her home.
Julie was diagnosed with central nervous system lymphoma in February, 2023. She underwent cancer treatment the way she lived her life, believing "It's not a problem until it's a problem." Her ability to enjoy life as it comes allowed her final year to be an extraordinary gift to all who had the privilege to be by her side.
Julie is survived by life partner Jordie Welles, brother Hugh Black, daughter Kim Ray Krupnick and son-in-law Michael Krupnick, son Bradley Ray and daughter-in-law Kathryn Ray, and granddaughters Veronica Krupnick and Destiny Krupnick.
Donations and memorial contributions may be made to Adaptive Sports Program, New Mexico. https://www.adaptivesportsprogram.org/