Julie Ann (Emmons) Crosby
On May 26, 2025, with quiet strength and surrounded by love, Julie Ann (Emmons) Crosby, a resident of Milford, NH, passed away after facing cancer with fierce grace and unwavering courage. She didn’t lose a battle–she lived with it, fiercely and on her own terms, never letting it define her. Though cancer may have taken her body, it never touched her spirit, her humor, or her capacity to care for others.
Born on September 30, 1957, in Munich, Germany, to Anna Lois (Bolton) Emmons and the late George M. Emmons, Julie was the eldest of eight siblings–a role that prepared her early for the job she was most proud of: being a mom. When asked about her profession, Julie–an extraordinarily skilled labor and delivery nurse of 43 years at Southern NH Medical Center–would simply smile and say, “I’m a mom.” And that she was–first and always.
Julie’s career was marked by compassion, wisdom, and a quiet but commanding presence. She cared for new mothers with kindness and empathy, mentored countless young nurses in both the science and art of the work, and earned the respect of physicians by consistently being right. Even in retirement, she held onto her calling, finding comfort in the series Call the Midwife during difficult nights, never quite letting go of the profession she loved so deeply.
While Julie’s professional life was impressive, her personal life was nothing short of extraordinary. She was the proud mother of four daughters–Abbi, Andrea, Kristi, and Brianna–each of whom she adored fiercely. She delighted in shopping trips, road trips with her girls, keeping her house clean and just being with family. She was also “Gram” to seven beloved grandchildren– Madison, her “heart and soul”, Zachary, Simon, Francesca, Lily, Sean and Lucy.
Julie was a cherished big sister, a beloved aunt, and part of a large and loving extended family. She brought people together with her warmth and her wit–and nowhere was that more evident than in the friendships she cultivated over a lifetime. Her circle of friends, including Lori, Andrea, Denise, Paula, Susan, and Patricia Dawn, stood by her side with extraordinary devotion, visiting her nearly every day in her final weeks. Their presence was not just a comfort, but a testament to the depth of connection Julie created with those she loved. Her friendships were not casual; they were lasting, loyal, and deeply rooted–just like Julie.
She is survived by and will be deeply missed by her four daughters and three sons-in-law, Abbi Lazarto and her husband Joseph, Andrea MacFarlane and her husband Sean, Kristi Crosby and Brianna MacFarlane and her husband Glenn; her seven grandchildren; five sisters and five brothers-in-law, Dena and Stephen Munroe, Marcie and James Murray, Abbi and John Laushine, Georgana and Greg Tocco and Anna and Eric Edwards; two brothers and a sister-in-law, George and Kerry Emmons and William Emmons; her beloved niece Riley and nephew James, who she cherished as her own, along with a thousand other nieces and nephews who she deeply loved and many, many dear friends. Julie was predeceased by her father and by Hayley Ann, the very first to call her “Auntie,” a title she wore with pride and love. She was also the grandmother of the late Sean, Weston and Nelson.
Relatives and friends will be received at the TYNGSBOROUGH FUNERAL HOME, 4 Cassaway Dr., Tyngsborough on Saturday, June 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. There will be a small celebration of her life at 9:45 a.m. at the funeral home. Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated immediately following at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, 29 Spring St., Nashua, NH 03060. Those wishing, may donate in her memory to the Mass General Thoracic Endocrine Cancer Center: https://because.massgeneral.org/fundraiser/6402307