Julia Tharpe

Julia Adeline Tharpe, known as Julie, left this world peacefully on August 27th at the age of 99. According to her birth certificate, she was born Julian Delvecchio on October 3, 1926 in Rossford, Ohio. Born to Italian immigrants, Enrico and Ida (Placucci) Delvecchio, she was the third of five children. At some point, she changed her birth certificate, in pencil, to say Julia and in 1944 did it legally. Where the Adeline came from, nobody knows, but she liked it enough to add to her driver’s license.

On April 29, 1950 she married her soul mate, a man who also illegally made changes to his name, Earlyn “Ernie” Tharpe. Together they welcomed two children, and resided in Trenton, Michigan together until he passed in 2014.

Julie was a caregiver from a young age. She lost both of her parents before she was 18 years old and had to help provide for her family. This care taking and problem solving would lead her to eventually care for many people including neighbors, family members, and friends throughout her life.

She was social and loved to to be involved with clubs and her church. Julie and Ernie traveled, loved going to casinos, and never missed a sporting event for any of their grandchildren. She loved fiercely and was very protective of those she loved. You didn’t want to be on her bad side, and Lord help you if you messed with someone she cared about. There are a few referees from a junior high football game in the late 90’s that are still probably traumatized.

If you think she loved being a grandparent, that love only grew with her great grandchildren. Another generation to play with wooden toys from the plastic garbage can, roll crocheted coasters across the floor, and play card games with. She continued to attend their events and get to know their friends as well.

Julie was incredible until the end. She loved to have visitors, including her grand dogs, was a favorite at her assisted living facility, enjoyed her butter pecan ice cream, and was still cheating at a game of cards the week she passed.

Julie was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, Mary “Mare” Grna, Amelia “Mill” Badik, Leo “Pete” Delvecchio, and Lovealena “Lena” Kramer, several nieces and nephews, and her beloved husband Ernie. She is survived by her children Nancy (Rich) Johnson and Dave (Sue) Tharpe as well as her grandchildren Robin (Mike) Kiss, Sean (Lauren) Tharpe, Jeremy Tharpe, and Chelsea (Varun) Ganapathy. She is also survived by her great grandchildren Maks, Kaylynn, Everett, and Noah in addition to many nieces and nephews, friends, and of course her grand and great grand dogs, Ellie, Chloe, Ruth, Daisy, Hank, and Joey.