Julie Theel, 69, of Olathe, KS passed Fri. Dec. 14, 2018.

Julie Theel was born Julia Marie Munz on January 24, 1949 in Stafford, Kansas, to Carl and Ruby Munz and passed away on December 14, 2018. Julie was a devoted wife, loving mother, dedicated teacher, and a notorious smart aleck. Her sense of humor never faded, and it infected us all. She loved her friends as family, was driven by her faith, and dedicated to the deaf community.

She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Charles Theel (Chuck to friends); son Michael Theel of San Francisco, California (Helen Lauen); daughter Dani Lybarger of Olathe (Craig) and grandkids Samantha, Katerina, and Maximillian; siblings Jerold of Lakeland, Florida (Joyce), Juan of St. John, Kansas (Belinda), Jodine (Jo to friends) of Lawrence, Kansas (Doug), and Jeffery of Great Bend, Kansas (Jan); and the rest of the extended Munz, Lambert, Theel, and Parisi families in Kansas, Wisconsin, Florida, and Georgia.

Julie grew up in Macksville, Kansas, on the family farm before moving to Wichita, eventually graduating from Wichita South High School. She went on to get her undergrad with honors from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. in 1971, where she was the first female editor of the school paper, the Gallaudet Buff and Blue. While there, she met her future husband, star wrestler, Chuck. She then received her masters degree from Western Maryland College in 1975.

She began her career at the Alabama School for the Deaf in Talladega for three years. She then moved to Olathe, Kansas, where she taught English and drama at the Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD) for 31 years with Chuck and Jo. She was also the coach of the Academic Team.

She served as president of the Kansas Educational Foundation (KEF), where she became the first person to use the Kansas TTY relay to speak with Governor Carlin. She made the most of the historic moment by next ordering a pizza. She was also an active member of the Olathe Club of the Deaf and served as president of the Kansas Association of the Deaf. On top of it all, she was also very involved in her local Catholic church, particularly in their ministry to the deaf with a never-ending stream of baked hams and turkeys for any number of special occasions.

In 1976, Julie and Chuck started a family with the addition of Michael, followed 18 months later with the arrival of Dani. The sibling feud made for an energetic time around the house, but the bond between them would solidify one fateful night with a well-aimed frozen burrito that sent Mike to the hospital for fear of a broken nose. The family grew again with the bald, ginger in a black wedding dress, Helen, marrying Michael. Just a couple years later, with Chuck’s permission using sign language in a heartfelt request, Craig would sweep Dani off her feet in Cancun with an assist from a Mariachi band. Five years later, Julie became Grammy (with all perks and liabilities), and Sam, Kate, and Max filled her with joy beyond measure.

She was an avid reader, often staying up most of the night to finish a thrilling murder mystery or a sordid romance. She never missed solving the daily crossword puzzle, any puzzle she could get her hands on, or beating the snot out of all comers in a game of Scrabble. Trivia was her forte. Many will remember sitting around the table for hours catching up, no matter how many years had passed.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please make donations to the Museum of Deaf History, Art and Culture (MDHAC, formerly the Deaf Cultural Center/DCC) or Evergreen Community of Johnson County, Kansas.

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