PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Julie Lou Martino, 88, longtime Lenox resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 6, 2020, at Berkshire Place after a long illness. 

She was born in Marion, Ind., on February 26, 1932, to the late Robert Bruce and Mabel Marie Muth Weber. She graduated from Hutchinson Central High School in Buffalo, N.Y., graduating in 1950. After attending business college, she began working at Sylvania Corp in Buffalo for several years prior to moving to Lenox in 1963. She has been a proud resident of town ever since. 

Julie worked as executive assistant to the medical director at Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge for 32 years and was well known in the Stockbridge area. 

She enjoyed gardening and collecting antiques, and was very knowledgeable about glass and china, of which she had amassed a significant personal collection. In her retirement, she started ballroom dancing, a hobby which she thoroughly enjoyed and excelled at. Her energy seemed endless at times. Another proud moment of her life was when she was selected to pose in a Norman Rockwell portrait. Years later, in her retirement, she volunteered as docent at the Rockwell Museum. 

Her perennial smile and positive attitude will be missed. She brightened any room she entered. 

Julie is survived by her son, John Daniel Prairie Jr. (Linda) of Cheshire, Conn.; and grandsons Ryan A., Matthew D. and Andrew S. Prairie. She also leaves behind her childhood friend Sophia Paivanas of Williamsville, N.Y.,; and long time friend Julie Negrini of Alford, Mass. 

Besides her parents, Julie is predeceased by her brother, Robert N. Weber.

Funeral notice: Her family wishes to thank the staff at Berkshire Place and Hospice of Western Massachusetts for their compassionate and loving care during her illness. A memorial to celebrate her life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox, or The Rockwell Museum in care of the Roche Funeral Home, 120 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01240.