Hartland, VT – Julie Ann Elizabeth Colt lost her courageous battle with cancer on July 18th, 2026, a month past her 70th birthday. She was born and raised in Hanover, New Hampshire by her beloved parents Betty and Dick Colt, who predeceased her. Julie was a member of the Hanover High School Class of 1974, where she captained the track and field and basketball teams, served on the Senior Class Council and was on the yearbook staff. As a member of the Springfield College Class of 1978, she was a prominent varsity athlete on the swimming and diving and track and field teams, and graduated with a degree in physical education with a minor in sports medicine.
Julie spent most of her adult life in Marin and Sonoma Counties in California, working in law enforcement for the local sheriff, running a successful business as a professional photographer, and serving as a dog trainer and animal rescue volunteer. She loved horses, daily walks on the beach with her dogs, and great food and wine with good friends. After she returned to the Upper Valley in 2022, she became a devoted member of the Hartland, Vermont Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, a revered go-to "dog whisperer" for clients across the Upper Valley, and an animal behavioral consultant. She had a hilariously irreverent and goofy sense of humor, a huge heart, an eternally positive spirit despite the many challenges she faced, impeccable integrity, a commitment to always doing the right thing and a genuinely kind and loving soul. She was treasured and beloved by friends and colleagues from all parts of her life.
Following Julie's wishes, a private celebration of her life will be held later this summer. Donations in her memory may be directed to The Sonoma Humane Society, The Marin Humane Society, Hartland Volunteer Fire and Rescue, and Aging in Hartland.
As Julie wrote in her introduction to one of her photography exhibits in California, "Compassion and empathy drive my passion for how I see and experience life." She saw animals as "our teachers and guides in living a life filled with compassion and selfless service." She concluded then, as she does now, with this: "May all go in light and laughter, and strive to make our world a better place for all beings."
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