Julius was such a cool, sweet, special boy. Since your family came to dinner at our house last year I’ve thought of Julius every day when I am at the kitchen sink. When you all visited, Julius and I were at the sink and he was going to wash his hands but the water came out hot. I said I was sorry and then adjusted the faucet to what I thought was the cold side (we had just moved in, so I wasn’t used to it yet). Julius thanked me, then washed his hands with a kind of bemused look on his face, kindly thanked me again - very sweet, very gentlemanly. When he walked away, I washed my hands and realized it had been on the hottest setting the whole time; I had turned the faucet the wrong way. It was very hot. But Julius apparently put up with it, I’m sure, just to be kind and not allow me to be embarrassed. I still remember his face and how respectful and kind he was despite me getting that faucet wrong. And now I think of him every time I turn on that stupid faucet.
I’m sure you’ve heard from countless people what a great kid - young man - Julius was. Carson and Grace were always so shy, but Julius always made them feel relaxed, comfortable, and befriended.
Lisa's special most cherished memory of Julius is when he was visiting during Eastertime. Some younger cousins were visiting and Carson and Julius were in charge of hiding Easter eggs. Julius brought such a joy to 'simply' hiding eggs, making sure each one was placed in a special way but didn't want them to be too hard to find - the whole time talking about how much fun it would be for the younger children.
Gracie remembers how Julius and she would play “gem stone” in the yard. Gracie would be so sad that she could never find any gems, so Julius would always give her his. She remembers his sweetness and compassion with such fondness - as we all will.
Carson: "I am completely beside myself at the thought of Julius passing, He was my best friend and shaped me in my childhood years. He taught me kindness, selflessness, and always gave me a good laugh. I’ll always cherish the memories we shared, like playing in the backyard playground, practicing baseball, and playing skylanders with him for hours. But what I'll remember most about Julius is his ability to bring joy to any situation. I don't know how, but he could turn any situation positive and leave you content with a smile on your face. I remember the last time I saw him recently, I was a little nervous as we haven't talked in quite a while, but my worries quickly vanished as he treated me as if I was his best friend for the past 16 years. Julius still lives on in my memories, and I will never forget the joyful little kid who I spent the most important time of my life with."
The Waldreps