OAKHAM: Julianne Hennessy, 66, of Oakham, died Saturday, June 2 at home after a long battle with cancer.
She was born in Worcester, Ma., on June 7, 1951 the daughter of the late Donal B. and Mary M. (Wood) Hennessy and graduated from Leicester High School and Leicester Junior College where she performed in several plays earning the best play award at the college drama festival at WPI for her leading role. She later attended Boston State College and Framingham State College were she received her baccalaureate degree. She was an executive at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company retiring after 20 years to start her own fitness business and owned and operated two gyms. She later earned a nursing degree and worked as an elementary school nurse for the town of Marlboro where she loved caring for special needs children.
Julie was a kind, generous, adventurous, fun person. She never did anything small from the time she was a teenager. She owned her own horse, enjoyed skydiving, skiing and riding her motorcycle. She attended modeling school in Boston, acting school in London, performed in several area theater productions, traveled the county for the Musicard business, owned and operated several businesses and even after becoming ill, started a flower business. She had a great sense of humor, loved playful pranks and embellishing a good joke. She loved spending summers with her friends at her beach house in York, Maine. She embraced her Irish heritage gaining her Irish citizenship through her grandmother for whom she was named. Julie was also a spiritual person who lived her faith. She was happiest doing something special for someone else.
She leaves her long time companion and best friend, Kenneth McKeen of Oakham; her sister, Madelyn Hennessy, nephews George and Charlie Morales, and niece Leah Morales of Leicester, and a large extended family including her sisters in law, nieces, nephews, many cousins and her dear friend Paula Archuleta.
She was predeceased by her husband of 24 years, Bernard Ashness in 2006 and her brother Brian Hennessy in 2016.
Friends and family are invited to a calling hours from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday June 10th in the MORIN FUNERAL HOME, 1131 Main St., Leicester. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 11 at 11 a.m. in St. Pius X Church, 1153 Main St., Leicester. Family and friends are asked to go directly to the church. A private burial will be held at a later date in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Leicester.