Julia Flor Obituary

Julia Elizabeth Flor

Julia Elizabeth Flor, infant daughter of Patrick and Kristin (née Ahlvin) Flor, of Millbrae, Calif., born October 21, 2015 at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (Stanford) in Palo Alto, Calif., passed away in the early hours of December 4, 2015 surrounded by her loving parents, brothers, and extended family.

Julia's life was filled with love and full of joy and lessons for all who knew her. Though she suffered from Trisomy 18, a profound genetic disorder with many pathologies affecting every cell in her body, everyone who met her, from ultrasound technicians to visiting family to doctors and nurses, noticed and remarked on her toughness, feistiness, and beauty. She enjoyed cuddling and eating meals (via feeding tube) with her mother and father, and being held, caressed, and sung to by her big brothers.

Julia taught her family so much: how to live in the present and enjoy each moment (not just talk about doing so); the importance of sharing grief as well as joy with family, friends, and community; how to gracefully accept help from others; and above all, the way that love, focused by prayer and thoughtful action, makes life beautiful and full even in extremely difficult, unforeseen circumstances.

She was so brave, strong, and resilient! We love her, are very proud of her, and will miss her dearly.

In addition to her parents, Julia is survived by her brothers Elijah and Joshua; by her grandparents Leo and Sue Flor of Vallejo, Calif. and Paul and Terri Ahlvin of O'Fallon, Ill.; by her great-grandmother Sally Ahlvin of Sikeston, Mo.; by aunts and uncles Mark Finn and Susan Flor of Mountain View, Calif., Leo J. Flor and Caedmon Cahill of Seattle, Wash., Alicia Flor of Millbrae, Calif., Joe and Elena Ahlvin of O'Fallon, Ill., and Matt and Becky Ahlvin of Belleville, Ill.; by cousins Tenzing, Adyn, Ronan, Isabelle, Quincy, Kian, and Cole; and by many loving great aunts and uncles and extended cousins.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, memorials may be made to SOFT (Support Organization for Trisomy 18 and 13 and related disorders), Rochester, N.Y., to the divisions of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and/or Neonatology at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, Calif., or to NILMDTS (Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep), Centennial, Colo.

Visitation: Friends and family may call from 12:00 – 1:00 pm, Thursday, December 10, 2015 at Faith Lutheran Church, 520 E. Highway 50, O'Fallon, Ill..

Funeral: 1:00 pm, Thursday, December 10, 2015 at Faith Lutheran Church, O'Fallon, with Episcopal Reverend Charles A. de Kay of Evanston, Ill. officiating. Burial will follow at Lake View Memorial Gardens, Fairview Heights, Ill.

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