Julie Marie Hennessy
Julie Marie Hennessy was the kind of woman who could do it all…woodworking, plumbing, flooring, and running marathons, there was not anything she was afraid to tackle. She died unexpectedly Saturday, June 7, 2025 at the age of 62, leaving her friends and family to remember that tomorrow is not promised. Julie was born July 2, 1962 in Flint to Donald and Kay (MacKenzie) Clark. Immediately after high school she started working for GM, and received her Bachelor of Science Degree from General Motors Institute, where she then worked for the next 42 years as an Engineer.
Julie loved to be active and enjoyed many sports including swimming, running (she ran in several marathons including qualifying and running in the Boston Marathon), and biking. With a passion for biking, she cycled in the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Race Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), the oldest and longest bicycle tour in the world, 14 years in total. When she could not be outdoors participating in sporting events or doing home improvement projects, she also enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, crafting, knitting, doing math problems, sudoku, and the NY Times Puzzles.
The absolute joy of Julie’s life was being a grandma. She adored her grandchildren, Wynn and Kylie, and was a full-time nanny for Wynn. Grammy always had time and energy to do crafts, read books, go for walks, play on the swings, and do all the things that kept the kids entertained and engaged. She was very proud of teaching Wynn to swim, one of her greatest passions.
Julie is survived by her daughter, Kelsey Williams; son, Arron (Mary) Sparks; grandchildren, Wynn and Kylie; and sister, Lisa (Jeff) Basinski. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Friends are encouraged to support Julie’s family by attending services or sharing memories on her Tribute Page at www.prayfuneral.com. Visitation is Monday, June 16, 12 noon – 2:00 p.m. with funeral services immediately following at 2:00 p.m. at Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte with Daniel Sowles officiating. The funeral will be webcast so you may watch it from any computer, smartphone, or mobile device that has internet access. Go to www.prayfuneral.com, click on Julie’s tribute, then click on Photos and Videos from your computer (or Media from your smart phone). If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Eaton County Humane Society. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte.