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Julia Hart Stoll

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Julia Hart Stoll, wife of Chief Tsungani Fearon Smith of the Lelooska Family, mother of Mariah Reese & Lottie Stoll-Smith, mother-in-law of Eric Reese, grandmother of Mara and Isaac Reese passed away on September 6, 2012 at 12:16 am surrounded by her family after battling breast cancer for 17 years.

Julia was an accomplished contemporary visual artist creating watercolors, prints, and paintings. Much of her work, including installations, focused on the riparian area behind her home in the Yale Valley. As a member of Blackfish Gallery for many years she enjoyed working and exhibiting with other artists. She had a love for the forest behind her house and drew many artists together to share in the beauty of the area.

Julia attended Swarthmore College and had a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR where she also taught classes for 18 years. As the artist in residence at Yale Elementary School she shared her knowledge and love for the arts to several generations of children.

She had a passion for all the arts, especially contemporary classical music, dance and singing that came together as founder and Artistic Director of the Yale Valley Arts Festival. She was eager to learn about everything: a new subject, a new language or the story of a person she just met. She loved the movement and expression of dance and enjoyed weekly classes at the local dance studio. She had a beautiful soprano voice that she loved to share as she sang with her church family on Sundays.

She believed in her community and often served on various boards and committees including the Yale Valley Library District, Friends of Yale Valley, Catlin Gabel, Integrated Landscape Management, the Lelooska Foundation and many more. Julia was a dancer in and an integral part of the Lelooska Cultural Center’s Living History Programs for over 40 years.

Julia could see the beauty and good in everyone and everything, and encouraged us all to be blessed by what God created. Julia loved her family dearly and was happy to have shared 42 years with the love of her life. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Lelooska Foundation, P.O. Box 526, Ariel, WA 98603

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