Julia R. Sanchez

Angier – Julia Rhiannon Sanchez, 21, went to be with her Lord on Monday, March 9th after a courageous 3 year battle with cancer. She was a native of Willow Spring and the daughter of Seth and Dottie Sanchez of Angier. Julia was a ray of sunshine to all she met. She never met a stranger and was amazingly friendly. Affectionately dubbed a “social butterfly”, it was always Julia’s goal to make others happy and was the eternal peace-keeper. She used food to bring joy to others and enjoyed showering her loved ones with sweets and goodies. A talented musician, she played oboe and mallets such as marimba and vibraphone in high school, and learned to play the baritone in the Western Carolina Pride of the Mountains Marching Band in college. She was in the Honors College at WCU and enjoyed spending time with her band section, the “Bears”. Julia had a lot of friends in the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, an organization for men who “through a love for music can…advance the cause of music in America”. Near the end of her life, the fraternity named Julia their “Sinfonian Sweetheart” because they had always considered her their sweetheart and little sister. Julia was diagnosed with cancer after her freshman year of college but continued her education through a variety of online classes and enrollment in the culinary program at Wake Technical Community College. Julia also loved her dog, Rocket, who was a constant companion through many rounds of chemotherapy and stayed by her side to the very end. Julia’s love for life and others was contagious and she was fearless. Her favorite Bible verse was Proverbs 31:25, which reads “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Julia emulated this verse and her faith never wavered. She loved passionately and will always be with us. Funeral Services will be held Thursday at 11:00 AM at Kennebec Baptist Church with burial to follow at Angier Primitive Baptist Church cemetery. In addition to her parents Julia is survived by her sister, Jessica Sanchez Arnold and husband Eric, LTJG, United States Navy, of Groton, CT; nephew, Matthew Aidan Arnold; grandmother, Linda Sanchez of Loganville, GA; grandfather, Hector Sanchez and wife, Maria of Riverview, FL; Aunts, Delena Bledsoe and husband Ray, of Bladenboro, NC, Erica Peebles and husband Marvin, of Auburn, GA.; uncles, Jason Sanchez of Buford, GA, Todd Sanchez and wife, Angie of Lawrenceville, GA; cousins, Raven Bledsoe and son Corbin, Courtney Bledsoe and daughter Merris, Taylor, Logan, and Dylan Peebles, Lauren and Jacob Sanchez, and Charles and Hailey Sanchez. Julia was preceded in death by her “Pepa” George Merritt.