Julia Close

Julia Close, age 66, passed away on October 19th, 2021, in Houston, TX. Born in September of 1955, she lived with her parents and 7 siblings in Detroit, Michigan, and had helped to raise the youngest three while attending school. After graduating high school, Julia had enlisted in the United States Armed Forces, and had achieved a specialist rank of SP5, during her service. During this time, she had married and had her first three children while stationed in El Paso.

In the early 80’s, Julia received an honorable discharge so she could focus on her family. A volunteer and nurturer at heart, she participated in various functions from preparing goods for church bake sales, ice cream socials (in which she accidentally created her infamous ultra-chocolatey ice cream), and various roles during church events and holiday functions. Some of the older gentlemen of the church, would tell her children about the time she almost single-handedly pushed their vehicles from being stuck after a freak snowstorm.

Julia would then meet, fall in love, and marry Jeffery Close. They moved to Houston, Texas, where she had two daughters by him. She was very active in her children’s lives; school projects, practices, volunteering for field trips, and becoming a Girl Scout Troop Leader for her two youngest daughters, much like she did when her two oldest daughters were children.

Strong-willed, generous, and open-hearted, Julia accepted peers and her children’s friends alike, and treated them as family. She was best friends, and practically family in every sense of the word, with her in-laws from her first marriage; George and Norma Talbot. She loved history, and especially liked reading historical fiction. She loved to cook or bake for her family and friends, and also took a special interest in competitive cooking shows. Julia loved animals and volunteered time to no-kill animal groups; she especially loved to care for the sick puppies and kittens that she fostered; they left her home with a clean bill of health for adoption.

Julia is survived by her five children; Deirdre, Christina, Edward, Nicole, Victoria, her granddaughter Quillan, her brothers Mark, Don, Al, Raymond, her sister Maryanne, and her mother-in-law Norma. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Jeffrey Close, and father-in-law George Talbot.