CAMDEN, MAINE – Julie P. Cawley, 79, beloved wife of the late Charles M. Cawley, and resident of Vero Beach, Florida, died peacefully, Friday, June 5, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware, surrounded with love by her family.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, March 17, 1941, she was the daughter of Dr. Hugh L. and Helen (Dowling) Murphy.  Julie earned a bachelor of arts from Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross in Washington, D.C., and later a master’s degree from Towson University.  

With a tender heart for children and those in need, Julie’s career included many years as a special education teacher in Towson, Maryland.  Together with her husband, she was a passionate advocate for the young and disadvantaged through their support of many educational scholarship programs.  She also opened her heart in friendship and mentored many with whom she forged enduring relationships.  

Regardless of the community in which she was residing, Julie was always an active member and supporter of her local Catholic Parish. 

She was a long time member of Holy Cross Church in Vero Beach, Florida; St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine in Wilmington, Delaware; and Our Lady of Good Hope in Camden, Maine.  Her support of the Ministry of Caring in Wilmington, Delaware, Homes for Life, Habitat for Humanity and St. Benedicts Prep School in Newark, New Jersey, helped to spread her loving generosity.  

Julie had a passion for new experiences and travel.  She set off with family and friends on countless adventures, and was able to utilize her love of photography to capture the beauty around her.  Her love of the arts extended well beyond photography.  She was an enthusiastic benefactor of the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Maine Media Workshop, where she also enjoyed her time as a student and made lasting friendships. 

Her generosity and kind spirit were evident through her support and participation in the founding of the Helen F Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute at ChristianaCare Hospital, named for her lifelong friend. She also touched the lives of those in all of her communities with her contributions to the Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Florida, Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine, and many others.

Her graceful strength, enduring love, easy sense of humor, and quiet kindness will be missed by all who knew her. 

Predeceased by her beloved husband, Charles M. Cawley in 2015; her two brothers, Frank and Peter Murphy;  her brothers-in-law Joseph Gatti and Cliff Abel; and sister-in-law Gael Murphy; Julie is survived by her children, Charles M. ‘Michael’ Cawley and his wife, Carol, of Atlanta, Georgia; Maureen Cawley Rhodes and her husband, Michael, of Wilmington, Delaware; her grandchildren, Julia Rhodes, Thomas ‘Tommy’ Rhodes, Charles ‘Charlie’ Cawley, IV, and Emma Cawley; her siblings, Mary Jo Gatti of Bonita Springs, Florida; Gertrude Abel of Wilmington, Delaware; Hugh Murphy and his wife, Elizabeth, of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania; Barbara Kurz, many beloved nieces and nephews and more friends than can be counted, including her close friends Michael Bratus, Michael and Toni Nash and their children Hannah, Elle and Sam.

Julie’s family will remember her life privately, and she will be laid to rest beside her husband at Sea View Cemetery, Rockport, Maine.  In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to The Ministry of Caring, 115 East 14^th Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 19801. 

Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland, Maine. 

To share a memory or condolence with the Cawley family, please visit their Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.