Julie Anne Curtis Bryant

On February 23, 2026, the world lost one of its great optimists with the passing of Julie Anne Curtis Bryant. An unfailing champion of those around her, our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, died at the age of 82 as the result of a fall. Julie was born on April 7, 1943, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to David and Rosetta Curtis. She was the eldest of four children, earning the affectionate nickname “Bossy Julie.” She attended Olympus High School and spent two memorable summers working in Yellowstone National Park.

Julie graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She began her career teaching first through third grades, later worked for an interior design firm, and held a range of administrative roles, finishing her career with thirteen years in the Academic Affairs department at the University of Phoenix. She spent many years serving on the board of the League of Women Voters and volunteering at her children’s schools. In 1967, at age 24, Julie married the love of her life, Stephen T. Bryant. Shortly after their marriage, Stephen completed his first year of law school before being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. After he returned home safely, the couple celebrated with a trip to Europe.

Upon returning home, they purchased an old summer cottage in Emigration Canyon and restored it together over many years. During this time, Stephen resumed his studies at the University of Utah College of Law. Just before he graduated, the couple welcomed their first child, Cynthia. Two years later, their son Taylor was born. Julie spent nearly twenty years living in their canyon home. When Stephen’s creativity ran up against the limits of his carpentry skills, they moved to Sandy, Utah.

Their beloved canyon house would never be be finished. Julie faced a profound loss when Stephen passed away from multiple sclerosis at the age of fifty. He remained fondly in her heart and mind until her own passing.

Throughout her life, Julie lived with her own disability, a form of muscular dystrophy. She was remarkable in her ability to embrace everything life presented to her without criticism or complaint, applying her boundless creativity and resilience to all challenges, whether carrying her infant daughter up the steps to the canyon house in a mesh grocery bag or devising a Rube Goldbergian system of dressing herself independently late in life. Her optimism was always welcome, even if it did make it hard to get a bead on how she was doing when under the weather. (When asked how she was feeling, the answer was always “I think I’m on the mend!”) She remained active her whole life, making several trips to Europe in retirement, and wore out at least one walker clocking many laps a day through the halls of Coventry Senior Living.

In retirement, Julie devoted herself to the things she loved most. She cared for her aging parents, bringing them meals and visiting daily. She was an accomplished but pragmatic seamstress, producing elegant outfits while quick to note a finicky stitch wouldn’t be seen by “a blind man on a galloping horse.” She spent countless hours gardening and earned her certification as a Master Gardener. Over several years, she retrofitted her yard into a handicap-accessible, water-wise oasis of native flora. When working directly in the garden became too difficult, she enjoyed having her gardeners — paid professionals and her unpaid son — dig up and transplant bushes six inches to the left. She was a talented artist, working in stained glass, woodcut, ink, watercolor, and collage.

In recent years, she sent a hand-drawn card to each grandchild each holiday and birthday — front and back inscribed with a curated selection of groan-inducing jokes and wordplay. She even kept a journal to ensure no recipient got the same joke twice. Her dedication was like a beehive without an exit - unbelieveable.

Julie enjoyed her time at Coventry Senior Living, where she formed new friendships and was grateful for the kindness and care of the staff, as were her loved ones. “I live my life in widening circles” — the poet Rilke’s words feel written for Julie. She was a devoted cultivator of friendships, staying in touch with neighbors, friends, and relatives across both sides of the family and many decades of life. She will be remembered for her creativity, her humor, and above all her unconditional love — and those who knew her will strive to carry her example forward into the world.

Julie was preceded in death by her brother David, and survived by his wife Nora Blay and their children Marc, Matthew, Lauren, and Andrew; her daughter Cynthia and her spouse Ben and their children Nate and Ellie; her son Taylor and his wife Mary and their children Evan, Meici, Oliver, and Steven; her sisters Susan Curtis and Annette Richie, and Annette’s husband Larry and their sons Nate and Devin.

A celebration of life is planned on May 16th. Please contact Julie.Bryant.inUT@gmail.com for details.