» On 8/10/2025 05:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
R.I.P. Julia Lynn [Higgins] O'Connell (16 Dec 1956 - 21 Jul 2025; Age 68). 

KITTERY [MAINE] - Julia Lynn Higgins O'Connell died July 21, 2025 in her home in Kittery, after a long battle with cancer. Julia was born in Alameda, CA to Richard (Dick) Higgins and Nancy (Flint) Higgins on December 16, 1956. The oldest of four children, she spent her childhood in California and Cape Cod. Driven, principled, and independent, Julia lived an incredible life filled with world-spanning adventures, advocacy for the environment, and the joy of art and dancing. Through her actions, she showed that life is what you make it: glass ceilings, stature, and traditional expectations need not get in the way of doing what is right or wonderful. Julia's life was filled with incredible experiences driven by her adventurous spirit. At the University of New Hampshire, she competed on a world-class crew team. In 1977, she fought wildfires in California as the only woman on a smokejumper crew. Julia also spent two years bicycling around the world with the friends she met along the way. She was a registered nurse for over 30 years, providing medical care to family and friends. In San Francisco, she volunteered her medical expertise at a free clinic for 10 years. She also believed in keeping the body healthy through yoga, which she taught and promoted to friends and family. Throughout her life, Julia was an intrepid defender of the environment who found opportunities for change, spoke out bravely, and organized the communities she lived in to make it happen. In the 1990s, she helped protect pristine environments by working towards the creation of the Santuit Pond Preserve on Cape Cod. She monitored water quality in Cotuit, MA, every month for five years. As a member of the Cotuit town council, she supported wind energy in the Nantucket sound. Julia continued her environmental work after moving to Maine in 2012. She served on the Kittery Energy and Sustainability Advisory Committee and helped implement energy saving programs by engaging with local businesses, students, and citizens. In 2019, she was the first woman elected to the water district Board of Trustees where she worked to protect drinking water and improve forest management. She initiated the rewriting of the 100 year old charter which was signed into law in 2021, enabling all water users the right to vote. Ever the artist, Julia sang in choirs and attended contra dances wherever she lived. She made pottery, bronze sculpture, and paintings that brought greater awareness to social and environmental issues and celebrated the beauty of nature and the human form. Julia was keenly aware that her journey was enabled by the thousands of friends she met along the way and the big spirit that surrounds and supports us all. She was especially grateful for the love, support, and assistance from her loving partner, Mike Thompson. He was a man for all of her seasons. Julia was predeceased by her partner, Mike, earlier this year; her father, Dick, in 2002 and her mother, Nancy, in 2005. She is survived by her three younger siblings: Richard Higgins and his wife Kim, Brian Higgins and his wife Aviva, and Phyllis Higgins, as well as a niece and nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews. Julia's life will be celebrated at a memorial service on September 20, at 2 p.m. at the South Church Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Portsmouth, NH.
--The Weekly Sentinel, Friday August 8, 2025: https://theweeklysentinel.com
p12: https://issuu.com/weeklysentinel/docs/ws_aug._8_2025/12

It is with great sadness that we share news of Julia O'Connell's passing. Julia was a longtime member who frequently exhibited and volunteered with the KAA. She was an expert at delivering one-liners and sharing surprising facts. Julia left her career in nursing to fight wildfires in California before moving East. She could often be found doing yoga at sunrise at Seapoint Beach. A member of the Seacoast Moderns, Julia saw art as a medium to promote social change, self awareness, and a greater appreciation of the beauty in and around us. When she was not sculpting with clay or volunteering in the arts, she devoted her time to climate advocacy through her work with the Kittery Water District, Energy Maine, and The Kittery Land Trust. Julia was a force of nature and will be dearly missed.
--Kittery Art Association, Friday, August 1, 2025:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DM0oQ7Yxkl7

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