Julia Smith Munson

August 28, 1956 - April 22, 2022

JULIA SMITH MUNSON August 28. 1956 - April 22, 2022 Julia Smith Munson was born in Gary, Indiana and grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana, East Lansing, Michigan and Topeka, Kansas. She received her first inkling of what she was supposed to do in life when her high school peers and co-workers at McDonald’s kept coming to her for advice. Julia received her B.S. in Social Work from Michigan State University in 1978 and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Kansas in 1982. Julia then moved to Denver with a friend. In 1986 she opened her own counseling practice, something that she continued to offer for the next 34 years, with a strong emphasis on body wisdom and emotional intelligence. In 1986, God brought Julia and Peter Munson together, and they were married at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Estes Park, Colorado on August 1, 1987. A year later, Julia and Peter moved across the country so that he could attend Virginia Theological Seminary. Their son, Zachary, was born in Maryland in 1991 and their daughter, Hannah, was born in Colorado in 1993. Julia was an amazingly wise and loving mother. Parenthood was a calling she had always looked forward to and she embraced being a mother with grace and aplomb. Later in her career, Julia branched out into working with couples, leading a women’s group, coaching individuals, and providing training for non-profits in the art of building healthy relationships among their staff and volunteers. She also co-created and co-led a group with Hannah for empty-nest mothers and their adult daughters. Julia was passionate about lifelong learning and transformation, and what she learned from the likes of Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks and Dr. Julia Colwell she readily integrated into her own coaching and teaching practices, adding her own twists and props that helped individuals embrace the material and experience their own transformation. In 2021, Julia pursued the next phase of her life with faithfulness, love, and determination, as she and Peter moved to Park City, Utah, and Julia did everything she possibly could to heal from metastatic ovarian cancer. As Julia reached the end of her life, appreciations and accolades poured in from family, friends, former clients, and leaders of non-profits. The common theme, in a nutshell, was, “Your teaching… your love… your encouragement… changed my life!” Julia is survived by her husband, Peter Munson; son and daughter-in-law, Zach and Jordan Munson; daughter, Hannah Munson; father, Orin Smith; sister, Karen Taylor; brother, Frank Smith, and many other aunts, uncles, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and good friends. Julia Munson’s funeral and interment of ashes will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 10:30 am at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Estes Park, Colorado. A lunch reception will follow at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. Donations in Julia's memory may be sent to: LifeSpark Cancer Resources 355 S. Teller St., Suite 200 Lakewood, CO 80226 And/Or REMAR Children’s Home and The Olive School (El Salvador) Make checks out and mail to: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (notation: REMAR) P.O. Box 981208 Park City, UT 84098