Julie A. Malm Ziraldo

Ziraldo, Julie A., age 49, of Rochester Hills, died November 19, 2010. Beloved wife of James. Dear mother of Allison and Katharine. Daughter of Evelyn Doyle and Edgar (Carol) Malm. Sister of Donna (Guy) O’Hair and John (Barbara) Malm. Funeral Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Tuesday at St. John Fisher University Chapel, 3665 Walton Blvd. in Auburn Hills where the family will greet friends from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. Visitation Monday 2-4 & 6-9 p.m. at PIXLEY FUNERAL HOME, 322 W. University Drive in Rochester. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate contributions in Julie’s name be directed to Lighthouse of Oakland. www.pixleyfuneralrochester.com

If you ever wanted to understand the true meaning of being "social", you only needed to spend time with Julie Ziraldo. Not social in the sense of climbing the societal ladder, but instead in the sense of connecting and networking with others. First off, she was a warm hearted and well liked individual. She was such an amiable person, someone who was always sharing with and engaging those around her. Julie was a talkative person who could be politically correct when need be, but was never afraid to express her thoughts and opinions, and she might even enjoy a little gossip as well. That being said, she also treasured the quiet moments in life, especially at home by herself and with her family.

There was one thing that all of Julie's friends knew and remember, and that is that she was outgoing. Though a little intimidated with meeting new people, she could find common ground and talk to just about anybody. This quality is one of the primary reasons that Julie was such a popular person throughout her life. But Julie was also dependable, loyal and trustworthy. Julie was the kind of person who simply radiated good fellowship. With a distinct skill for making things happen, Julie was often the person who would organize events. In fact, Julie was fairly comfortable playing the role of the “host” for just about any occasion. And when Julie made friends, she made true and long-lasting friendships.

EARLY YEARS & SCHOOL

Julie was born at Cottage Hospital in Grosse Pointe, Michigan in early May of 1961. She was the eldest daughter of Ed Malm and Evelyn Corriveau (now Doyle), and shortly after birth the young family moved into a bungalow in Redford, Michigan. Julie grew up with two siblings, her younger sister, Donna, and a younger brother, John. The kids had the typical rivalries while growing up, and later Julie joked that she was clever enough to side with John over Donna as he grew bigger. But ultimately they cared deeply for one another. During her childhood she learned to be reliable and independent, and also truly cared about friendships. These admirable qualities would become a part of Julie's personality throughout her life. As a young girl, Julie had a number of interests, including Girl Scouts led by her Mom.

For Julie, school was rarely a problem because she generally preferred structure and routines. She was always able to start a project and work right through to its completion, doing it quickly and efficiently. She enjoyed some high school courses more than others, most of all music with Mr. Dwyer. She performed in several New Majority theater productions, including “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Godspell.” She graduated from Redford Union High School in 1979, and then attended college briefly. As an adult, she later studied and demonstrated a knack for interior design.

HER GROWING FAMILY

Julie was a faithful and loving person. Her kindness and consideration radiated an aura of warmth to those around her. Julie cared for what others thought and carried that into her marriage. On June 25, 1988 Julie married Jim Ziraldo at Bonnie Brook Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan. Both the ceremony and reception were held at this venue, on one of the hottest days of the year. Right after they were wed, Julie moved across the country to San Jose, CA to be with her new husband. The trip was made all the more memorable when the newlyweds unpacked the trailer full of all Julie’s belongings, and discovered every single item has confetti added to it. And confetti has been part of any packing or moving ever since!

Later that year, they honeymooned down the California coast, in particular enjoying the drive along Highway 1 and Hearst Castle. Then in 1989, Julie and Jim managed to avoid the great Bay Area earthquake when they left on vacation just a couple days beforehand. However they returned in time to experience the many aftershocks, and Julie had to live a few days at a time with friends near Santa Cruz so she could continue working at Capitola Mall.

But their greatest adventure began in 1990, when Julie and her husband were blessed with the first of two daughters, Allison Joy on November 27th. Though inexperienced and a little scared, Julie grew naturally into the role of mother. The family relocated back to Michigan just a year later, and in early 1994 they purchased their first home in Royal Oak, Michigan. Just a couple short months later, the family expanded when Katharine (Katie) Grace was born on May 2nd. Five years later, they moved one last time to the colonial Julie always wanted in Rochester Hills.

Julie was also a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of her favorites was Cody, a yellow lab/ collie mix, who was a best friend for the last 10 years. Her family was rounded out by several cats over the years, most recently Lillian and Aurora.

Though Julie’s primary occupation over the years was that of homemaker, she held a few retail management positions over the years and also assisted in a daycare. But nothing was as important to her as raising her daughters, from encouraging them through every new experience to being actively involved in their schooling and PTA. Though not technically trained, Julie was comfortable with the internet, and assisted the grade school in creating a website for sharing pertinent information.

HER INTERESTS & HOBBIES

This love of technology was not unique to Julie’s involvement with the grade school. Julie absolutely loved to learn new things, and was always interested in the latest gadget or gizmo, be that a cordless phone, or laptop or Kindle or an iPod touch. For a few years, Julie entered into the “World of Warcraft,” a multi-player online role-playing game. Her alter-ego, known as Galadrielle, became one of the strongest hunters in the game, making her a wanted player by several “Guilds.” Then she became a master of texting and Facebook – a savant at social networking (as though she had simply been waiting for them to invent something she was already an expert at.)

But all these things paled in comparison to Julie’s ongoing love of music. She was always willing to try new alternative artists, but no one ever touched her love of the Dave Matthews Band. In fact, in the summer of 2009, with the generous help of John Ziraldo and others at Lighthouse, Julie had the opportunity to meet her idol backstage before a concert at DTE Energy Theatre. She was thrilled!

Some of Julie’s favorite movies were Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Gone with the Wind, Shakespeare in Love and the entire trilogy of Pirates of the Caribbean. Some of Julie’s preferred books were the Outlander Series (her absolute favorite), Pillars of the Earth, The Other Bolyen Girl and Garden Spells.

Julie’s favorite pursuits were reading, camping and shopping too. Not only did Julie enjoy long trips and weekend getaways, but she was extremely efficient at preparing for those trips and vacations. She rarely tired of going back and revisiting her favorite places. Some of her favorite weekends were with her girlfriends, and camping or visiting Frankenmuth with the Czarniowski family. Some of her favorite vacations included Disney World with the Rawling family and various others. She loved the opportunity to take a cruise, especially one to the Mediterranean with her family.

HER OTHER INVOLVEMENTS

Her desire to make a difference in the world led Julie to become actively involved in community organizations. Because she was organized and worked well with others, Julie did her fair share of volunteer work. Not only was Julie was an active member of the PTA, but she also participated in several committees as a member of St. John Fisher Chapel. And later she volunteered for Lighthouse of Oakland County, where she started “Party with a Purpose” to gather needed items for the PATH program for single mothers. Once again, she created a website for this program to continue on without her. She was always well respected, because she sought to help in any manner she could.

Julie was also the catalyst in many ventures with family and friends. She started an annual Christmas caroling tradition with the families through Meadowbrook. She and Jim hosted an annual Cinco de Mayo backyard party to celebrate the start of summer. She took up an old Ziraldo tradition by offering a holiday open house for cousins and family friends after the family Christmas gathering. And she started a book club with friends, that continues to this day, to whom she said “I am not the boss of book club, just the bossiest”. Ultimately, she made things happen.

FINALLY…

Julie passed away at 7:26pm on November 19, 2010 at home. Julie fought a brave battle against breast cancer over the last 3.5 years of her life. She continued living life and loving and caring about others right until the very end. Many of her friends described her as brave and strong, but to her she was only making the best of a bad situation, and she wasn’t going to allow that to keep her from making the most of the time she had. She is survived by her husband, Jim, her daughters, Allison and Katie, her parents, Ed Malm and Evelyn Doyle and her siblings, Donna and John. Services were held at St. John Fisher Chapel, and Julie was laid to rest in Guardian Angel Cemetery in Rochester, Michigan.

In the end, Julie was a fantastic friend and caring person. She was articulate, intelligent, outspoken at times, and down to earth person, and she loved to laugh. She was, without question, the type of person who enjoyed experiencing things first hand. She was practical and sensible, but what friends and family will remember most is her love and zest for life and friendship. Everyone whose life she touched will miss Julie Ziraldo.

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