Julia “Judy” Day Watkins, 94, died peacefully on Saturday, November 3, 2012 at her home in Carol Woods Retirement Community, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

She was the daughter of Asa Dupuy and Dorothy Day Watkins. Born Sept 21, 1918 at her maternal grandparents’ home in Catskill, NY. At age 5 months, she moved with her mother to Prince Edward County, Virginia, her father’s native home, where he had a faculty position at Hampden Sydney College. After attending her mother’s home school with other children in the community, Julia attended public school and graduated from Chatham Hall Boarding School. She received her A.B. degree from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.

During WWII she attended nursing school at The Medical College of Virginia and later earned a certificate in public health nursing from Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She worked as a staff nurse and supervisor at the Instructive Visiting Nurses Association in Richmond, where she was instrumental in effecting staff desegregation. In 1957 Julia attended The School of Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill where she received her MPH degree.

As Educational coordinator at The Visiting Nurses Association of Milwaukee, WI, she was responsible for orientation of new staff and student nurses assigned to the agency for field experience. In 1964 Julia moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to teach public health nurse supervision at the UNC School of Nursing. She assisted Dr. Frank Williams in the School of Medicine with a study of how diabetic patients manage their illness. She also assisted with the development of one of the first Family Nurse Practitioner programs in the U.S.

After retiring in 1981. Julia helped develop Triangle Hospice and later became chair of its Board of Directors. In 1993 she moved to Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, where she served on the Residents’ Council and as chair of the Resident Health & Social Services Committee for 3 years. Julia was a member of Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church where she served on the alter guild, the vestry and as senior warden.

She is survived by two nephews, William Watkins of NYC, and Richard Watkins of Lake Luzerne, NY, a sister-in-law, Luella Watkins of Morristown, NJ and five dear cousins.

The interment of ashes will be at 1pm at The Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC with a memorial service and reception to follow at Carol Woods Retirement Center at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2012.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Carol Woods Charitable Fund, Chapel of the Cross, or Episcopal Church of the Advocate.