JULIA CECELIA SMITH Died April 25, 2005, in Alameda at the age of 50. Born in Minneapolis to Joseph Douglas Smith and his wife, Mercedes, she was an inveterate tree climber and lover of the outdoors. She showed her love of the arts at an early age, winning awards for poetry, music and art. The family moved to California in 1965, and Julia would graduate from Buchser High in 1971. In high school, Julia discovered her passion for journalism, which would develop into a career of writing features and theatre criticism for the alternative press. She was a founding member of the writing and editing staff of San Jose's weekly Metro newspaper. Not content merely to be a critic, Julia also lent her beautiful singing voice to many light operas and musicals performed near her home in Santa Clara County. Diagnosed with cancer in 1996 and given little hope by physicians, Julia embarked on a long and valiant struggle to resist and reverse the disease's progress with the tenacity only a mother of three can know. During this time she wrote passionately about her experience and strove to share her strength with other cancer patients. After cancer quieted her singing voice, Julia cultivated her skill at the crafts of needlepoint, drawing and calligraphy, and rendered her experiences in poetry. She is survived by her daughters, Lily, 13, Irene, 11, and Colette, 8, and her adoring husband of fourteen years, Colin Smith; her beloved sisters, Marguerite (Daniel) Capp, Mercedes (John) Latta, and Stephanie (David) Aguilera; her admiring brothers, Douglas, Charles and Michael (Lynda) Smith; her brother-in-law, Brendan (Jennifer) Smith; many nieces and nephews; and friends too numerous to mention. Vigil Friday at 7 p.m. at Greer Family Mortuary in Alameda; funeral Saturday, 9:30 a.m., at St. Joseph Basilica, Alameda. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For further information, please call: Greer Family Mortuary (510) 865-3755.

Alameda Times-Star 4/28/05.