Julia Ellen Hendrich, M.D., 54, passed away on August 11th at her home in Evans, Georgia. She was the wife of Robert Mark Meeks, and they shared 26 years of happy marriage together.
Born in Columbia, Missouri, she was the daughter of Barbara A. Hendrich and the late Chester E. Hendrich. She graduated from Clemson University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology (Cum Laude) and then went on to graduate from the Medical College of Georgia as a Doctor of Medicine.
In 1990, she completed her residency in Family Medicine and joined the MCG faculty as an Assistant Professor. She went on to become the Director of the Medicine Inpatient Program and Associate Director of the Residency Training Program. She practiced full-scope family medicine including the delivery of many babies and care of hundreds of patients. She taught both residents and medical students. Of her numerous accomplishments, one of the most meaningful to her was the Thomas A. Sappington Award recognizing her for excellence as both a teacher and medical role model that she received from her residents in 1992, 1997, 2005 and 2006. In 2006, she joined the Center for Primary Care in Evans as a Clinical Assistant Professor and continued to work in family medicine where she took special care in treating all of her patients as individuals worthy of loving care and concern.
As a member of Wesley United Methodist Church, she taught the Genesis Sunday school class for many years and made medical mission trips to North Carolina, South Carolina and Bolivia. Dr. Hendrich loved to travel and enjoyed hiking, rafting and water sports and always had a plan to include family and friends in her next adventure. She will be remembered for her intelligence and strong moral compass, as well as her enduring sense of humor, compassion and vitality in the face of adversity.
She is survived by her devoted husband, Mark, and her beloved children Matthew Connor Meeks, 24, and Nicholas Luke Meeks, 23, and her step-son Robert Mark Meeks, Jr., 36. She is also survived by her loving mother, Barbara Hendrich, her sisters and their husbands, Claire Hendrich and Ted Marzullo and Beth Hendrich and Jarrett Franklin, as well as nieces Megan Korff, Samantha Marzullo, Jessica Marzullo, and Morgan Franklin and nephew Eric Franklin.
The family will receive friends on August 13th at 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church at 825 Belair Road, Evans, Georgia 30809. A “Celebration of Life Service” will be on August 14th at 3:00 p.m. also at Wesley United Methodist Church. Memorials may be made to the GRU Cancer Center.