Julie Ann Luke

Julie, the second of six children, was born October 15, 1956 in Burtonwood, England. She was the daughter of the late Ralph Eugene Proffitt, a U.S. Army veteran, and Gladys Mae Wilson Proffitt.

As part of a military family, Julie also lived in Canada, Alabama, and Germany. During her adult life, she lived in Michigan, California, Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, and South Carolina.

At the age of twelve, her family settled in Fayetteville, North Carolina where she later attended Seventy-First High School. She worked a number of different jobs in the service industry during her life, but her fondest memories were the three years she spent as a sales associate at Walmart in Monkey Junction, where she formed lasting friendships with many of her coworkers. She reluctantly left in late 2020 due to her health. Prior to Walmart, she also volunteered as a cook for a few years at the Senior Center in Carolina Beach, North Carolina.

She began her most important job on November 15, 1993, when at the age of 37, she gave birth to her only daughter, RaChil. She was fond of saying that her child was her greatest masterpiece.

As an artist, throughout her life, she created countless masterpieces. Painting was her passion, but she never met a medium she couldn’t master. She fostered a love of art in her daughter and in each of her great-nieces. But she had always been an inspiration to most who knew her.

She loved with her whole being. If you were lucky enough to count yourself among her friends, there wasn’t a thing she wouldn’t do for you and she made sure you knew how much you were loved.

Julie began her battle with cancer in 2017. A warrior, she defied the odds, surviving for four years longer than her doctors had expected. She took full advantage of that extra time, doing all of the things that brought her joy; spending time with her family at the beach, hunting for sales and great finds while shopping, playing her scratch-off crossword lottery tickets, making birthday cakes and cooking meals for her numerous friends, and finding joy in painting all of the things that inspired her.

After a difficult brief period of declining health, she succumbed to the breast cancer that had altered her life since leaving Walmart. She was surrounded by her family and peacefully passed into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior.

She is survived by her daughter, RaChil Luke; her three sisters, Cheryl Wright, Cathy Morgan, and Amy Phillips and Amy’s spouse, Mike; a brother, Barry Proffitt; two sisters-in-love, Crissy Hairr and Teresa Berends; four nephews, Jason Chabot, Nathan Morgan, Justin Vinning, and Michael Phillips, Jr., and their spouses; a niece, Brittany Gustafson and her spouse; three great-nieces, Adriana, Evy, and Brynli; and four great-nephews, Justin, Jr., Wyatt, Victor, and Broxen. She was preceded in death by a sister, Debra Vinning.

Her family, who so deeply loved her, plans to hold a celebration of life service on the beach for this remarkable woman in Carolina Beach in March. The date and time will be shared with friends and extended family on Facebook.

Fond memories, tributes, and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.peacocknewnamwhite.com for the Luke family.

Peacock - Newnam & White Funeral and Cremation Service, Southport, North Carolina.