Friday, April 9
8:00 - Meet at Three Trees
Elms Hotel
Saturday, April 10
2:00 - Balloon Release
By Julie’s Bench
Minnich Hall
2:30 - Memorial Service
Sesquitennial Chapel
3:00-6:00 Gathering at Brick Street
Can’t wait to see everyone!
by Jon Sonnheim
originally published Oct 09, 2007
Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University
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Mixed among the rhythm of his pounding staccato heartbeat and the thousands of stomping footsteps on the hot pavement around him, Matt Muto’s thoughts drifted to an old friend’s smile.
It’s a smile that made him want to travel more than 1,000 miles and run 26 more in Sunday’s Chicago Marathon. It was all for Julie Turnbull – his college friend who died in a house fire at Miami (Ohio) University in April 2005, just one month before her graduation and 22nd birthday. “That’s the reason I’m out here, that’s the reason I’m doing all this,” Muto said after the race. “I never was a runner before, I hated running. It just kind of inspired me.” |
 Matt Muto, one of Julie’s friends, traveled from Colorado to run the Chicago Marathon in Julie’s honor. |
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The Julie Turnbull smile that motivated Muto inspired a hundred more friends and family members to travel to Chicago last weekend to remember Julie’s life. Each friend seemed driven by his and her own personal scrapbook of “Jules” memories, but for parents Doug and Linda Turnbull of Milford, Ohio, the fact the friends even showed up was enough.
“I don’t think there is a better feeling,” Doug said. “All a parent wants is for their daughter not to be forgotten.” |
 Doug and Linda Turnbull have made a hundred new young friends, like Kate Fox, one of Julie’s former roommates. |
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It was supposed to be a time of celebration. With classes at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, winding down, and parties starting up, senior Julie Turnbull was in her element.
“Her life was a grand adventure,” her father said. “And when she’d come home and tell the stories, you just couldn’t get enough.”
She was known among her family as the entertainment director, among her friends as a free spirit. She was the girl with the smile who simply loved life, and wanted others to feel just as special.
Julie was especially looking forward to May 8, 2005. It was Mother’s Day, as well as the day she would graduate from college and turn 22 years old. Unfortunately, April 10, 2005, came first.
Julie was spending the night at some friends’ house when a fire consumed the more than 100-year-old building. Of the 11 Miami students inside, eight made it out alive. Suddenly and without warning, life at Miami went from celebration to mourning, for Julie Turnbull, Stephen Smith and Kathryn Welling.
But two-and-a-half years later, Doug and Linda Turnbull said that out of their tragedy arose compassion. Out of grief, came love. “I loved having her here, and would give anything to have her back,” her mother, Linda, said. “But there’s still a connection. The love is still there. I really feel that the love lives on.”
Proof of Julie’s love and impact on others has not been difficult for the Turnbulls to find. Complete strangers began sending letters to the family, which now fill up Julie’s old room. Friends of Julie’s – friends her parents had never met – began organizing events, like the marathon, and raising money in her honor. The Turnbulls began making a hundred new friends – young friends – that reminded them of their daughter.
“That’s the great thing. We’ve met so many wonderful people because of Julie,” Linda said. “She would tell us about friends, and now we know them. And that has been wonderful.”
One of Julie’s good friends and former roommates, Jenna Szkatulski, a Wilmette native, helped organize this year’s marathon events. She said it is a tribute to Julie’s memory that, years later, she’s still able to draw and command a big crowd.
“I just keep thinking about how none of us would be together right now had that not happened,” Szkatulski said. “And as horrible as the experience was, we would not all be as close as we are.”
Friends and family continue to remember her and raise money in her honor. They want to make sure her legacy will shine as brightly as her life.
“I’m sure I still get tears in my eyes every day, over some little thing,” Doug said. “But mostly, when I think about her, I smile.”
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So as Matt Muto neared the Chicago Marathon finish line, past the cheers and red “Running to Remember” signs that Julie’s friends and family held high in support, he said his mind once again wandered to the bigger picture.
“You think it builds up to some huge celebration,” Muto said, “but it’s more like the journey, the 26 miles that you do.”
Like the journey more than a hundred friends and family made to remember Julie last weekend. Like the journey from pain to smiles, and the ability to raise more than $65,000 for the Julia H. Turnbull Memorial Scholarship Fund at Miami.
“Once (the scholarship) reached $50,000, we have something to say about the money,” Doug said, wondering what future Julies will be awarded her scholarship. “Like a girl with a big smile. Or somebody that’s just an average student, not brilliant.”
Doug laughed, knowing that his daughter felt life was about more than just school – it was about being vibrant, having fun and surrounding herself with family and friends.
Linda Turnbull joined in Doug’s laughter. That’s what Julie did: She made people smile.
I wanted to pass on this post from Abbey on the guestbook…
Hey guys-
there have been a few changes so I wanted to let everyone know: here is the schedule for Saturday April 8th in Oxford. Hope to see everyone over the weekend. email if you have questions
Rugby game 1pm
Balloons 3pm near Pi Phi suite and bench
Service 4pm and Methodist Church on North Poplar
Joel
We have now sold 134 bricks and raised $12,500!! Thanks to all who bought a brick! Engraving of the bricks started last week. We are still hoping to have all the bricks installed by April 10, 2006. We will be sure to keep you posted on our progress.
Thank you to everybody who registered to the site, and everybody who left comments. We’ve made a few changes to the guestbook. It is no longer necessary to register or log in to write a comment, just click “Guestbook” in the main menu and use the “Click here to sign the guestbook” link. Thank you for your posts. Again, if you’d like to include a picture in your post, by all means, contact me (Joel) at jturnbull@fuse.net, we’d love to include it.
This bench was donated in Julie’s memory by the employees of the John Gray Company. It is located at the north end of Minnick Hall outside of the Pi Phi Suite.
Bill & Jesse planned a spectacular event
The Chicago Marathon was an excellent weekend for Linda, Kelly and I. Emotions ran high for all but it was a great weekend. People came from as far away as Colorado and Boston and it astonished us. Julie has such a wonderful group of friends. Bill Scully, Jessie Hypes, Seth McNally and Blaire Beekin planned the whole thing and Jessie’s mom and dad hosted a Carbo-Fest Saturday night to fuel the runners and give them a big send off. Take a look at the pics of Saturday night and the party after at Zella’s on Sunday. The runners went by so fast that the race pics are mostly generic.
Please share your stories, thoughts, or pictures of Julie! Anybody can comment on a post. To write a post or upload a picture, you’ll need to register, we encourage everybody to do so! All you will be asked to provide is a username and an email address where a password can be sent. For help, please see the FAQ.
