Julia Mahshie Shaheen passed away peacefully on Sunday January 26 after a brief illness.

She was born in Syracuse, NY on February 6, 1925 to parents Towfeek Mahshie and Malakie Atallah Mahshie. Julia was educated at Syracuse schools and after graduating   high school, she attended Crouse College at Syracuse University for music studies.

Julia passed away just eleven days shy of her one-hundreth birthday. She often entertained her children with her fond recollections of her early years with her parents and brothers George and Joe, Mahshie and Abdo relatives, and enjoying many family outings especially to the Thousand Islands where her father would take the family on boat trips on the St. Lawrence River.  She was proud of her Palestinian heritage and her immigrant parents' hard work in establishing a thriving grocery store business. Her beloved father passed away when she was only 12 and her mother then raised Julia, and her brothers on her own while supervising the business.

In January,1946 she married Frederick S. Shaheen of Utica  at Blessed Sacrament Church in Syracuse, and loved telling the story of the famous snowstorm bus trip back to Utica with all of her new in-laws. However, none of this "new " family were strangers to her as she had already developed  loving relationships with many of them including the children of her Aunt Soraya and Uncle Fouad: Lamya, Tony, George and John and  those of in law's Hickel and Hafeeza: Sam, Albert, Joe and Eli. Those close relationships continued throughout her life and were the source of countless hilarious and heartwarming stories of their exploits together. In many ways, these were her extended set of brothers and sister that she always cherished.

Julia joined her husband in operating American Realty and Insurance Agency first as secretary and later as a real estate salesperson.  She was always the warm and smiling face clients first encountered when they entered the office, and her husband depended on her to keep the office running smoothly for many years until his passing in 1993 after which Julia retired. She then enjoyed traveling with her daughter Monet to Cape Cod and memorable trips to DC to visit son Fred; Florida trips with her Mahshie cousins, and simple picnics with family to Old Forge and Oneida Lake.

When not being a businesswoman, she was also an accomplished homemaker, sewing clothes for her daughters, helping with homework, and beautifully decorating her home; and hostess, happily preparing holiday feasts as well as everyday dinners for a varying assortment of Shaheens who lived just next door.  She was also very involved with many of the women who had immigrated from Baskinta, Lebanon (her husband's birthplace) in the Baskinta Society, was very proud of her community work while a member of the Genetaska Club of Utica and the Women's Republican Club of Utica.

She will be remembered for her feisty spirit, love of family, and keeping the family's oral history alive for her children.  Her strong Catholic faith was inspirational and she always quoted her mother who had assured her that "God is always with you." That belief was the bedrock of her ability to weather all the calamities of life and was repeated to her family many times in her final days.

Julia leaves behind her children: Roselynn (John) Dow, Frederick (Rosemarie) Shaheen, and Julie Sprague; grandchildren Nicholas Leonard, John (Claire) Dow, and Alexandra Shaheen (husband Sam Ruggieri). Honorable Anthony Shaheen, John and Patty Shaheen, Gloria Shaheen, Patricia Shaheen, Erika Shaheen, and the many Mahshie and Abdo cousins.  She was predeceased by her husband Fred, beloved daughter Monet, her parents,  and brother George.

Family and friends are kindly invited to share their remembrances with her family at calling hours at the John L. Matt Funeral Home, 3309 Oneida St., Chadwicks, NY on Friday, February 7 from 4-6 p.m.

The Liturgy of the Faithful Departed will take place on Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Louis of Gonzaga Church, 520 Rutger St., Utica celebrated by Abouna Boutros El Hachem, Pastor, and dear friend to Julia and the entire Shaheen families.

Please consider donations in Julia memory to either St. Louis of Gonzaga Church or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.To send an online greeting go to :www.johnlmattfuneralhome.com