Julie K (Urban) Gutowski

Altamont - Julie Kristen Gutowski (Urban), 48, passed Friday, July 2, 2021, at home, surrounded by family. Julie was a lifelong resident of the Capital District and graduated from Guilderland High School. She completed her undergraduate degreein Elementary Education and her Masters in Special Education in preparation for her career in education. Julie was a devoted teacher who was asdisheartenedby not being able to teachfor the last year and halfdue to her treatmentsas she was by her cancer diagnosis. Julie taught in the SchenectadyCity School Districtfor 23 years,with time at Pleasant Valley, Zoller, andPaige Elementary Schools. Julie was born to teach and masterfully created an enriching, respectful, safe, and loving classroom communitywhere all children thrived, not just academically but emotionally as well.Julie'sunique skillof focusing on each student's strengths and identitycreated an environment where all children ultimately strove to be contributing members of the community they collectively established with their teacher.Julie's positive influence on her studentswas evidenced by the numerous former students of all ages who would return to her classroom to visit and share their successes or to justcheck in with one of their favorite teachers. Julie was also brought into this worldto be a mother and she knew it. Julie persevered through numerous fertility treatments to create a family that adores her and she doted on. Her twins, Bentley and Braeden, know they are lucky young men to have spent the last 13 years learning from and being loved by their mother. In her short time on Earth,Julie taught her own masterclass in living and dying. Numerous friends and family will report the same. Right up until her final days,Julie still spent time taking care of others and used grace, love, honesty, and humor to put all around her at ease about her condition and her fate.As was her nature, Julie's focus was to make those around her feel at peace with her illness and untimely death. Julie is survived by hertwinboys Bentley and Braeden, husband Jamie Gutowski andparents Patrick and Donna Urban. She is predeceased by her sisters Rita and Hillary Urban and is survived by brother and sister-in-law Tim Urban and Erika MacFarlane, niece Lilia and nephew Caleb Urban, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Michelle Gutowski and Ramon Sucgang, and nephew Justin Sucgang, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins,friends,and countless students, children, and angels she co-opted as near nieces and nephews. Calling hours will take place on Sunday from 2-5pm at the DeMarco-Stone Funeral Home, 5216 Western Turnpike, Guilderland. A funeral mass will be held on Monday morning at 10am at St. Madeleine Sophie Church, Carman Road, Guilderland, with burial to follow at Prospect Hill Cemetery. Should friends desire, contributions may be made to the Schenectady City School DistrictJulie Gutowski Scholarship Fund athttps://gofund.me/9f79bf32and/or do something special with a child in your life and tell them it's from you and Julie, Aunt Juju, Jewel, or whatever you knew our sweet Julie by.