Virginia Beach—Juliet A. Katz, 100 years old, passed away June 19, 2021.
Julie was the daughter of Frank and Josephine Abramson, and she was raised by aunt and uncle Aaron and Ida Levinsky in New York City.
As a young woman, Julie attended college, then later worked as a secretary to Samuel David Leidesdorf, founder of the eponymous accounting firm. There, she met some of the famous people of the time, such as John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and J. Robert Oppenheimer, as well as future leaders of the State of Israel, including Teddy Kollek and Golda Meir.
Juliet met Carl J. Katz at a charity ball sponsored by a New York Jewish women’s philanthropic organization of which she was president. They married in 1952 and soon moved to Norfolk, Va., where Carl had a business opportunity, later buying an accounting practice in Norview.
In addition to helping Carl with his practice, Julie was lovingly dedicated to raising their three children.
Julie was very active in the Jewish community. She was a member of the Temple Israel Sisterhood and was president of the Seaboard Region of the Women’s League of Conservative Judaism. She was also active in Hadassah, the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and many other organizations.
After her husband Carl’s passing, Julie joined Cenit Bank as an executive secretary. Recognized for her talent with people and her business acumen, Julie was soon promoted to vice-president and director of human resources.
Julie retired after 15 years with the bank, leaving to enjoy her family, and her friends, attending the opera, and playing Mah Jongg.
Left to cherish her memory, Julie is survived by her brother-in-law Dr. S. Sheldon (Cynthia) Katz and her half-sister Harriet Abramson. She will be sorely missed by her children, Dr. Lawrence (Marilyn) Katz of Rhode Island, Dr. Jeffrey (Mindy) Katz of Virginia Beach, and Dr. Andrea Katz (Sherry Edwards) of Richmond, as well as her grandchildren Carly (Greg Hellman), Jacob, Jana, and Daniel Katz, and great-grandson, Henry Hellman.
A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery, officiated by Rabbi Michael Panitz. The service was also live-streamed on Altmeyerfh.com.
Donations to Beth Sholom Village, the Carl and Juliet Katz Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, and Temple Israel.