Jack was born in Enumclaw, Washington, the youngest of eight children, to his parents, John Henry Julien and Esther Sophia Olson Julien. Jack’s proud heritage traces back to the Varmland region of Sweden.
During his childhood in California’s Central Valley, Jack’s achievements included membership in the 1939 Livingston High School Band, which won honors at the World’s Fair at Treasure Island. During his senior year, Jack entered a California-wide music competition where, accompanied on the piano by fellow student Delsie Kanen, Jack won both the baritone horn division and the division for all individual instruments.
In 1942, Jack graduated from high school and registered for the draft. He completed basic training in anti-aircraft at Camp Callahan in San Diego. He played in the U.S. Army Band for a season. He was stationed in Europe with the Combat Engineers until the war ended in 1946.
Jack returned home and married his high school sweetheart and piano accompanist, Delsie Kanen, on June 1, 1946. They were wed at the foot of Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite National Park.
Jack entered dental school in 1949 and earned the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, in San Francisco.
In 1953, Jack and Delsie moved to Tuolumne County and began his dental practice in Sonora. Jack and Delsie loved raising their five children in Gold Rush country, instilling a deep love for the Mother Lode in David, John, Philip, Laura and Janis.
Jack enjoyed practicing dentistry for 46 years, including his own private practice in Sonora, serving as Chief of the Dental Health Section of the California Department of Health Services, and serving as the Dental Programs coordinator for Tuolumne County family health services. He was especially proud to work with community- and school-based dental disease prevention programs in Tuolumne County through its dental clinic and the “Miles of Smiles” outreach program. He also contributed for over a decade on the Sonora Elementary School board and in its Parent-Teacher Association.
He served faithfully on the Board of Elders at Oak Hill Presbyterian Church for decades, a church of which he and Delsie were founding members.
In 2003, Delsie died after a valiant 45-year struggle with lupus. Jack married again in 2009, this time to lifelong family friend Amy Bauernschmidt. Jack moved to be with Amy in Tucson, Arizona, where they lived together until Feb. 25, 2022, when Jack died peacefully in bed in his sleep at Amy’s side.
The Lord blessed Jack not only with five children, but also with 19 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
A celebration of Jack’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, at Oak Hill Presbyterian Church in Sonora.
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