Julie Laura Gilmour, was born in Utica, New York on November 12, 1949, the daughter of Julia and Thomas Whitley. She passed on March 9, 2023, while an inpatient at Tampa General Hospital, undergoing numerous heart procedures.
She is survived by her her husband, James R. Gilmour and three siblings: Barbara, Dianne, and Thomas.
Julie was known as the kindest, most loving, and generous person by everyone who knew her. From her teenage years throughout the balance of her life she suffered from the ravages of diabetes, but was never heard to complain about her multiple surgeries and amputation. On December 21, 2022, she celebrated her twentieth year as a kidney/pancreas recipient. In her ever giving way she voluntarily spoke to Civic organizations and hospitals throughout Central Florida, regarding the wonders of organ transplants. She pursued information on her donor family and became lifelong friends with donors sister and mother, always appreciative of the extra years of life that had been given to her through the generosity of another person. She kept a picture of her donor on her bed stand after receiving it from his mother. Julie also enjoyed traveling. She and her husband Jim traveled as far as Samarkand to the East and Angel Falls in South America, including most European countries and Scotland. Finally, her disabilities prevented long distance travel and she restricted her visits to the Southeastern US, visiting family and friends.
Julie was gracious with everyone she met, always offering to assist in anyway possible. She was active in working with her former classmates regarding Largo High School class reunions and considered them her best friends. She was very talented and organized in her professional life, having served as Executive Assistant to the Medical Director of Cigna Health Plan, who referred to her as “indefatigable”. Later, she served similar role for a statewide engineering engineering firms, before retiring due to her health concerns.
Some of her happiest moments came after she retired from the world of work, when she could devote her passion for animals, by raising quarter horses and Jack Russell Terriers. As an amputee, she was featured in a Tampa Tribune article regarding the power of horses in assisting the handicapped. In later years she developed an interest in genealogy, and spent countless hours searching family histories for friends and family.
No person who ever met Julie, did not like her. She was a very rare gift from God, who inspired everyone she touched, with her compassion, perseverance, intelligence and most of all her love. Her loss is devastating to everyone who knew, loved and depended on her. The memory of her will be eternal to all who knew her.
Julie's family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org
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