Julia Sparks Borchardt Pfannenstiehl, resident of Needham, MA, formerly of Boston, MA and Naples, FL passed away peacefully on June 18th, 2026 surrounded by her loving family.
Julia is predeceased by her first husband John Borchardt in 1992, her second husband Fred Pfannenstiehl in 2022, and her brothers Rick Sparks and John Sparks. She is survived by son and daughter-in-law Paul and Kelly Borchardt of Winchester, MA; daughter and son-in-law Lauren and Chris Guthrie of Wellesley, MA; stepson and daughter-in-law Craig and Allie Pfannenstiehl of Weston, MA; stepson Curt Pfannenstiehl and fiancée Donna Van Schagen of Dover, MA; stepdaughter and son-in-law Christy and Chip Bergstrom of Wellesley, MA, and her twelve beloved grandchildren: Curt, Owen, Emma, Hannah, Charlie, Ethan, Ellie, Jack, Lola, Amelia, Caroline, and Connor.
Julia was born on December 9th, 1949 and raised in Grand Rapids, MI, the daughter of the late Fred and Eleanor Sparks. She was a graduate of East Grand Rapids High. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan, and her Master’s Degree from the University of Delaware. She cherished the time she spent volunteering with close friends at the organizations she held dear, including the Museum of Fine Arts Associates, the Boston Public Library, the Chilton Club, the Nichols House Museum, and the Wayland MA and Naples FL Garden Clubs. Julia spent a lifetime bringing people together and enriching her community. She loved to host a dinner party and gather her beloved family around the Thanksgiving table. Nothing brought her greater joy than making cookies with her grandchildren.
Visiting Hours will be held at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., (Rt.16) Wellesley, Wednesday, June 24th from 4:00-7:00PM, with a Funeral Mass in St. John the Evangelist Parish in Wellesley Hills, Thursday, June 25th at 10:00AM followed by a reception at Brae Burn Country Club in Newton. Relatives and friends kindly invited. In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to The National Scleroderma Foundation (scleroderma.org) or Good Shepherd Hospice Care (gscommunitycare.org).