Julie Ann Balbi

She was born on November 23, 1961, to Gloria Martell and Gilberto Lopez in the Bronx, New York.

She graduated from Fordham University, where she studied pre-med, and went on to be a research scientist at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Medical Center University Hospital and Montefiore Medical Center, doing research on treatments for Parkinson’s Disease, heart disease and more. By 27, she ran her own laboratory on cardiothoracic and myocardial infarction research at Montefiore.

It was at Montefiore that Julie met her husband, Kenneth Balbi. Of all places, they met in an elevator, and they were married within four months. The two would eventually go on to work together in the country’s premier Lead Poisoning Treatment and Prevention Program. Julie eventually ran the program’s lead testing and heavy metals laboratory.

Julie gave birth to their daughter, Danielle, in 1993, and their son, Joshua, in 1998.

When Julie was 34, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and given six months to live. As she would continue to do for the rest of her life, Julie defied the opinions of many medical experts and lived for another 27 years during which she was able to travel, watch her children grow, and celebrate 34 years of marriage with her husband.

Julie is survived by her husband Kenneth, her children Danielle and Joshua, her sister Dale, her siblings-in-law Bill, Howard and Patti, and many loving nieces and nephews.

Please join us in celebrating her life. There will be a viewing at Quinn-Fogarty Funeral Home, 192-15 Northern Blvd, Flushing, NY 11358, on Thursday, March 2, from 4pm to 8pm.

Then, on Friday, March 3, the family will return to Quinn-Fogarty at 8:30am. The funeral mass will be held at St. Anastasia Church, 45-14 245th St, Douglaston, NY 11362, at 9:45am. A burial ceremony will follow at Mount St. Mary Cemetery, 172-00 Booth Memorial Ave, Flushing, NY 11365.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.quinn-fogartyfuneralhome.com for the Balbi family.