1923-2020


Julia Kathryn Wesolowski King, 96, of Ridley Park, died peacefully at home May 10, 2020. Born in Mount Rose, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Ignatius and Wladyslawa Kissel Wesolowski and was the seventh of ten children raised on the family's dairy farm.

Julia graduated Central High School, attended Trenton State Teachers College and earned her degree in Nursing from St. Francis Nursing School. She became an RN in 1945 and served in the US Cadet Nurse Corps during WW II, stationed at the US Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, VA. While there, Julia met her husband, Thomas. They married in 1947 and purchased the family home in Ridley Park in 1949.

Her medical career spanned 40 years, during which time she worked as an RN at St. Francis Hospital in Trenton, St. Agnes Hospital in Philadelphia and Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park. Julia also worked as an Occupational Health Nurse at Strawbridge & Clothier in Springfield and Scott Paper in Chester and Philadelphia before retiring in 1985.

She was a devoted parishioner at the Church of St. Madeline and a member of the Sodality since 1949. Julia was a past president of the Delaware Valley Occupational Health Nurses Association and a member of Young at Heart of Ridley Park, Schoolhouse Seniors and St. Francis Alumni Association. Julia was a founding member of the committee that launched a borough-wide recycling program in Ridley Park in the 1970s and a founding and active member of Ridley Park Town Watch. She was a charter member of the Ridley Park Swim Club, where she swam laps regularly.

In her retirement years, Julia volunteered extensively for several organizations, including Meals on Wheels, Taylor Hospital and Chester Crozer Medical Center's Serendipity Thrift Shop. She was a lifelong learner, regularly attending classes at Delaware County Community College and night-school programs to study a wide variety of subjects, including genealogy, Irish dancing, weaving, computer technology and clowning. Julia enjoyed knitting and crocheting, and crocheted an afghan for each of her children. She was a Senior Olympian, winning several gold, silver and bronze medals in swimming events. Julia loved to explore new places and traveled to Spain, Ireland, France, Alaska and Hawaii.

She was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Thomas J. King, who died March 29, 1997; her brothers, Victor Wesloski, John J. Wesley, James A. Brant, Thomas Wesolowski; and her sister, Mary Valentine.

Julia is survived by her children, Barbara J. King, Kathleen G. King, Thomas M. King (Kathryn), Julia K. King (Russ) and Maripat A. King (Don); her grandchildren, Peter Maynard, Emily Maynard, Julia Anne King, Richard Robinson, Cameron King and Evan King; her great grandchildren, Otto Maynard and Elyse Maynard; and her brother, Tad Wesoloski.

Service and Burial: Private. A celebration of her life will be announced at a later date.

Mass Cards or Memorial gifts may be made to the Church of St. Madeline, 110 Park Street, Ridley Park, PA 19078.