From the very beginning, Julie was a miracle.

Julie Marie Kramedas, 64, passed away suddenly but peacefully in her sleep on September 22, 2026. Born June 11, 1962, at The Memorial Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, Julie arrived at only 24 weeks, weighing just one and a half pounds and measuring 12 inches long. Her family was given little hope that she would survive, but Julie fought. After spending her first 103 days in the hospital, she was finally strong enough to go home, and her remarkable survival was celebrated in the local newspaper on her first birthday.

That fighting spirit stayed with Julie throughout her life. Although she lived with disabilities and challenges associated with having been born so prematurely in 1962, she carried remarkable resilience - and beneath that strength was a heart of gold.

Julie was the youngest daughter of the late Ann Marie Mulvena (née Riccio), originally from Chicago, Illinois, and the late Gregory S. Kramedas of Dover, Delaware. She grew up in Broomall, Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia region, alongside her older sisters, Susan and Laura. Ann Marie raised her three girls as a single mother. Later, Julie's cherished grandmother, Margaret M. Kelovas, and her beloved step-grandfather, Grandpa Stewie, came to help with the girls.

Julie attended Marple Township High School and continued her secondary education in Philadelphia, pursuing cosmetology and hairdressing, dance, and early childhood education. She became a certified early childhood educator and worked as a Pre-K teacher, continued doing hair on the side, and later worked as a grocer for local supermarkets.

Above all, Julie was a devoted single mother to Amber Marie Bernardo Kramedas and Russell L. Kramedas. Her family grew to include her beloved daughter-in-law, Danielle Piha Kramedas, and her cherished grandchildren: Jaden Carr, Amber's son, and Russell and Danielle's daughters, Avery and Raegan Kramedas. Her grandchildren brought tremendous joy to her life.

Julie had a strong spirit of service. She was a Life Member of the Elsmere Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, where she volunteered for more than 15 years and was named Woman of the Year in 2014. She also volunteered at election polls, the Wilmington VA Medical Center, St. Anthony's Italian Festival, and Faithful Friends Animal Society, where she worked with cats. A lifelong cat lover, Julie cherished her cats. She found many ways to give her time and heart to others.

Julie leaves behind her daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and beloved grandchildren; her sisters and their husbands, Susan and Joe Jancuska of Wilmington, Delaware, and Laura and Andrew Munts of Salt Lake City, Utah; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, extended family members, and close friends. She was preceded in death by her mother, Ann Marie Mulvena (née Riccio); her cherished grandmother, Margaret M. Kelovas; and her beloved step-grandfather, Grandpa Stewie.

Julie entered this world as a tiny baby whom people feared would not survive. She survived.

She spent a lifetime showing that the size of a person has nothing to do with the size of their spirit.

Julie began her life fighting, and she never stopped. She will be remembered for her resilience, her unmistakable strength, her heart of gold, and above all, the tremendous love she had for her family. Her life was a miracle from the very beginning, and her story will live on through every person who knew and loved her.

Visitation will be held on Friday, Oct 16 from 11:00am-12:00noon at Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home, 1400 Kirkwood Hwy., Wilm., DE 19805. A Celebration of Life service will begin at 12:00 noon at the funeral home. Interment will take place privately.