Julianne S. Snively

Julianne S. Snively, 77, of Rockford, IL, died April 30, 2019, at home, with her best friend and husband, Bill, at her side, along with their daughter, Elizabeth; her sister, Mary Smith, and niece and nephew Moira and Josh Olson. The cause of death was Parkinson’s Disease, a scourge that Julie fought ferociously for as long as she could. On her last day on Earth, she used her final bit of strength to try to make the Sign of the Cross as a priest performed the Last Rites, the Catholic blessing for people nearing death.
Julie was born in Rockford April 1, 1942, daughter of Dr. Leo J. and Helen Smith. She graduated from Bishop Muldoon Catholic High School for girls and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Marquette University in 1964.
After short stints in journalism in Green Bay and Washington, D.C., Julie came to the Rockford Register Star where she was a general news reporter covering the courts, an uncommon role for women in those days. She nonetheless earned respect as an excellent journalist because of her work ethic and integrity. Julie never backed down from a news source, and they cooperated with her because they knew she was fair.
Bill and Julie met in a local establishment next door to the News Tower. They were married Dec. 30, 1967, and later welcomed Elizabeth into their family. Julie took time off from her career to raise Elizabeth and then returned to the Register Star as a columnist and feature writer, primarily covering the arts.
Julie entered two contests that are worthy of note in this obituary. One was sponsored by the Folio Society, a London-based publishing company, and required a review of a book on Spanish history written by an esteemed British historian. Among the contestants Julie beat with a first-place finish was the chairman of the Yale University English Department.
The other contest illustrates two facets of Julie’s personality – her love of cooking and her sense of humor. In her 60s, she decided to bake a pie and enter it in the Winnebago County Fair. Julie was well-known for being an excellent cook and pies were her specialty, so it was a surprise to everyone when she garnered only an Honorable Mention. It was not a problem, however; Julie laughed longer than anyone at the result, and she continued making pies.
Julie loved to entertain and made it look easy. Her tables were always exquisitely set, the food perfectly suited to the occasion, and the dinner conversation sparkling and inclusive of everyone at the table. For many years she and Bill threw a Kentucky Derby party for about 70 friends. Julie frequently organized smaller affairs to celebrate accomplishments or milestones in the lives of her friends.
Julie served on the Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum board and as its president, doing much to raise awareness of the unique home on Kent Creek. She was a former member and president of the Junior League during the time it helped start the Discovery Center children’s museum. She also was an usher at St. Peter’s Cathedral; a member of the Civic League and Century Club, and of the Book Club and First Spouses Club in her circle of friends. At Marquette, she was editor of the yearbook, member and president of the Kappa Beta Gamma social sorority, and was named to Gamma Pi Epsilon, the Jesuit version of Phi Beta Kappa, as well as Theta Sigma Phi, the national women’s journalism fraternity.
Julie is survived by her husband, Bill, daughter Elizabeth (fiancée Christopher Novoa), Minneapolis; grandson Pache Akono, Chicago; sister, Mary Smith, Rockford; nieces, nephews, cousins and friends, including childhood friends Mary Riley Harrington, Long Island, and Susan O’Meara Johnson, Washington, D.C. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Mike and Jack.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rockford, with the Rev. William Wentink officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Riverside Chapel of Fitzgerald Funeral Home and from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. at the church on Thursday. Memorials may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation or Northern Illinois Hospice. The family wishes to thank all who supported Julie in her final journey on Earth, especially Bill and Cathie Thiede, Catherine Shriver, and masseuse Sue Michaelson.