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Julie L. Bertch, age 68, passed away suddenly and most unexpectedly on October 28, 2023. Julie was born on March 9, 1955, in Three Rivers to Sybert and Charlett Crose. She attended and graduated from Three Rivers High School in 1973 and continued her education at Western Michigan University and Davenport University, completing a certificate in computer programming. On June 15, 1974, Julie married Dennis Bertch. They were further blessed with two beautiful children, Jason and Elizabeth. Prior to her retirement, she worked at Ascension Borgess Hospital as a credentialing coordinator, a job she loved and poured her heart and soul into for almost 20 years. She loved cooking, sewing, knitting, reading, traveling, playing cards (especially Pinochle and Uno), Jeopardy, crossword puzzles, and playing the lottery. She was an avid sports fan following the Detroit Lions, NFL, University of Michigan, college basketball, and the Detroit Tigers.
Above all, she loved to spoil her grandchildren and always enjoyed their company. An example of one of the many memorable opportunities she created for the grandchildren was organizing, planning, and supporting a week-long trip to Disney World over the winter holidays. Her husband, children, grandchildren, family, and friends can attest that Julie was extremely competitive, wanting to excel in whatever she did, and was not afraid to engage in a bit of friendly trash talk depending on the competition.
Julie is survived by her husband of 49.5 years and high school sweetheart, Dennis; son Jason (Melissa) Bertch; daughter Elizabeth (Carlisle) Eley; eight grandchildren: DJ, William, Cameron, CJ, Nicholas, Joshua, Marissa, and Emmanual; four great-grandchildren; brothers: Scott (Lyn) Crose and Todd Crose; sister, Lore (Matthew) Hynan; mother-in-law, Betty Bertch; brothers-in-law: Roger (Susan) Bertch, Stanley (Denise) Bertch, and Richard Rohrer; sisters-in-law: Pamela (Bart) Haines and Judy (Duane) Pawson; 19 nieces and nephews, and several great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother and father Charlett and Sybert Crose, father-in-law Durwood Bertch, sister-in-law Melody Rohrer, and niece Stacey Rohrer.
Julie will be best remembered as a very kind, supportive, bullheaded, and generous soul, a phenomenal wife, mother, grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, and friend. She will be missed deeply by all those that knew and loved her. In lieu of gifts, the family requests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Diabetes Association in her memory.
Friends may visit with Julie’s family on Friday, November 3, 2023, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Burial & Cremation Services, 3926 South 9th Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49009. Please visit Julie’s personalized online guestbook at https://www.langelands.com
