Julie Carol (Beal) Metz was born December 16, 1940 in Pasadena, California to Marvin Janson “Pete” and Mildred Carol McNiel Beal, and passed away peacefully July 10, 2026 from complications related to metastatic bone cancer after a brief hospitalization after a fall, with family at her side.

Julie spent her entire youth in Pasadena, establishing a tight-knit group of friends from her street and neighborhood – known amongst themselves as “The Roses”, with whom she was close for the entirety of her life. She graduated from Pasadena High School, and then went on to Occidental College, where she became the first member of her family to graduate from college. Later in life, she received her Masters Degree from Cal State Fullerton.

She went immediately into teaching, which would remain one of the most important things in her life for the next 6 decades, first in Oakland, and then at Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta (from which time a student went on to become a history teacher for her two sons years later). During this time, Julie met Theodore “Ted” Metz at Hollywood Presbyterian Church, and they became a couple after a ski trip to Mammoth Mountain, and married October 7, 1967. They honeymooned in Hawai’i and went on to have many an adventure together in these early years, often centering around skiing and Porsche Club of America events. Soon enough, children joined the family, first Joel, born July 15, 1970, followed by Brent on July 20, 1973.

This was followed by a move from their early home in El Segundo into a new house in Fountain Valley, where they lived for the next decade, while she continued to teach part time. In 1983, the family moved to Mission Viejo, and Julie soon moved back to full-time teaching at El Toro High School. They also began to attend and became deeply involved with Laguna Presbyterian Church, eventually starting a scholarship in the name of her parents. When Julie retired from teaching in 2003, they realized a long-held desire and moved to Bishop and the Eastern Sierra, which had been a focal point of many a family trip over the last 4 decades. Her retirement lasted a mere 6 months before the need to continue helping others led her to start teaching adult education, and at the Eastern Sierra campus at Cerro Coso Community College, which continued until only  a couple years ago.

Julie loved the outdoors and animals. She taught her sons to be curious and investigate everything, which paid “dividends” in an endless stream of interesting objects and creatures brought home from explorations, and they are forever grateful for her encouragement. Family vacation planning was typically her domain, and the resultant trips all over the West to visit National and State Parks every chance we got are lodged fondly in our memories. In the early years of marriage, she worked as a docent at the LA Zoo. She also worked with her son Brent in 4-H, puppy raising for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and was an integral part of him raising 8 pups, 5 of whom went on to be Guide Dogs. From that time forward there was always a Labrador Retriever at her side, and she especially loved her last two dogs, brothers Tioga and Ritter. Once in Bishop, Julie took advantage of her time and the location to hike and fish whenever possible, exploring all over the Sierra and Whites with a small group of like-minded ladies who sometimes bushwacked in to spots younger hikers were surprised to find them at! She also finally got another horse, Chance, after years of treasured memories of her horses Thor and Swampy growing up, and took him out for rides as long as the two of them were able. Julie also helped out consistently with the soup kitchen run out of Bishop First United Methodist Church.

She instilled in us deeply the ideas that we should treat everyone with respect, think independently, and make sure you do what you enjoy in life.

Julie is survived by her husband of nearly 60 years, Ted, sons Joel (Portland, OR) and Brent (Bishop, CA), and brother Randy (Hemet, CA).

A celebration of her life will be held at a future date.