The Orange Beach, Alabama, community is mourning the passing of Julie Ann Johnson Deskin, a beloved local woman whose life came to an end peacefully on July 23, 2026. She was 87 years old.
According to her obituary published by Pine Rest Funeral Home, Julie Ann was born on September 19, 1938, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. She later made her home in Orange Beach, where she built a life surrounded by family, friends and the community she came to know as home. Her family described her passing as peaceful, occurring in her sleep while she was on the water with her beloved pup beside her.
That detail offers a particularly personal glimpse into the final moments of Julie’s life. Rather than a prolonged illness or difficult final chapter being described, her family remembered a peaceful passing in an environment that appears to have held special meaning for her.
Julie Ann’s death has left behind a family who will continue to remember her through the many relationships and memories she created throughout her 87 years. Her published memorial records several members of her family, including her daughter Kelly A. McGinley and her husband, Robert, as well as her son Scott D. Alexander and his wife, Kit. Her grandchildren include Dallas B. Jones, Merrick, Sage, Eliana, and Sydney Alexander Heidrick and her husband, Zachary. She is also survived by her stepsons, Roy Deskin and Jeff Deskin.
Julie was preceded in death by several people close to her. Her obituary lists her parents, Ila Orr Johnson and Roy Johnson, her sister Shirley Johnson Newsom, her husband John A. Deskin, her daughter Vickie M. Vines, her stepdaughter Sherry Deskin and her cousin Sherry Flood among those who died before her.
For those who knew Julie, her passing represents the loss of a woman whose life spanned nearly nine decades. From her beginnings in Wisconsin to her later years in coastal Alabama, she experienced generations of family milestones and created memories that will remain with those closest to her.
Her connection with animals was also reflected in the family’s remembrance of her passing. Julie was with her pup when she died, a detail that makes the obituary especially intimate and gives loved ones a comforting image to hold onto as they grieve.
In lieu of flowers, Julie’s family has requested that memorial donations be made in her honor to Friends of the Mobile Animal Shelter, reflecting the importance of animals in her life and offering another way for those who wish to remember her to pay tribute.
Julie Ann Johnson Deskin’s death marks the end of a life that began in Wisconsin and ultimately became rooted in Orange Beach, Alabama. At 87, she leaves behind children, grandchildren, stepchildren, extended family members and friends who will carry her memory forward.
As loved ones remember Julie, the circumstances of her peaceful passing may provide some measure of comfort during a difficult time. She died on July 23, 2026, leaving behind a legacy centered on family, cherished relationships and the memories created during her long life.