Julie M. Schlobohm

Julie Schlobohm, 76, passed away on May 11, 2022 at her home surrounded by her loving family.  Julie was born November 20, 1945 in Alpena, Michigan to the late Ivan and Mary LeBlanc.  A graduate of Michigan State University with a Master’s Degree from Bowling Green University, Julie lived in West Springfield since 1974.
Julie worked as an English teacher at Westfield High School for more than thirty years.  She loved words, to play with them, to craft them into poems, to mold language to call our attention and to make meaning.  Writing was her way to gush, to fully share herself and to tell the perfect story.  She wrote poems to celebrate those she loved, to wrestle with loss and to marvel at earthly delights. She penned beautiful notes and letters for every occasion.  With the help of a friend, she self-published, Lucky for Us, a collection of her poems.
Whether snorkeling in the Caribbean, camping with family in the north woods, listening to loons or spring peepers, or walking along the ocean, Julie loved the natural world.  She and her husband, Dietrich, went on countless summer adventures in Maine to camp, canoe, and swim in lakes and ponds. Locally, Julie was deeply involved in a grassroots community effort to protect Mittineague Park from development and to preserve it as a public space for all. She was also active in land conservation efforts to permanently preserve 1,500 acres in Bear Hole and was part of the West Springfield Environmental Committee.
Generosity was Julie’s lifeblood. She volunteered for numerous causes – teaching English as a second language, helping local immigrant families, reading to kids in local schools, supporting fundraising efforts to build a new library and lots more.  She was also a steady and caring support to a wide network of friends and family, always present to listen, encourage or offer a helping hand. In turn, her extended family and community filled her life with music, poetry, laughter and joy. She showered a special love on her two grandsons, Colin and Avery, taking every opportunity to read together, join in their games or stay updated on their latest adventures.
Julie is predeceased by her sister Mary and brothers Joel and Mark. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Dietrich Schlobohm, her son, Matt Schlobohm, daughter in law, Kate Brennan and grandsons Colin and Avery Schlobohm, all of Greene, Maine.
The family will be holding a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, communityfoundation.org, 333 Bridge St, Springfield, MA 01103.  You could also honor Julie in your own way by doing something that filled her life with richness: read or write a poem, take a walk outside, admire simple beauty, shower someone in your life with love or practice a random act of kindness.
New England Funeral & Cremation Center, LLC, 25 Mill Street, Springfield, MA has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Please visit Julie’s memorial page at www.nefcc.net for expressions of sympathy.
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Julie M. Schlobohm.