PARISH OF THE NEW ENGLAND DIOCESE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA
Julia Feeney
Julia Maria Feeney, 42, of Jaques Avenue, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 29, 2025, at UMass Memorial Medical Center – University Campus in Worcester, after a long illness.
She is survived by her mother, Mary Ann (Balch) Feeney of Worcester; her daughter, Sofiya M. Feeney of Worcester; her partner, Daniel Gondek of Oxford; two brothers, John Paul Feeney of Baltimore, MD, and Richard B. Hussey and his wife, Tracy, of Claremont, NH; her sister, Wendy M. Hussey, and her wife, Julia, of Oakland, CA; and members of the extended Gondek family.
She was born on September 23, 1983, in Hanover, NH, to the late John Paul Feeney and has lived in Worcester for the past 11 years.
Ms. Feeney was raised in White River Junction, VT. Her parents were directors of the Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction, and Julia grew up there with her brother J.P. She worked at the LIFT Emergency Shelter in Worcester for several years. She enjoyed art, drawing, and listening to music.
A memorial service took place at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, October 6, 2025, at Paradis-Givner Funeral Home, 357 Main Street, Oxford. Calling hours followed the service from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Upper Valley Haven, 713 Hartford Ave., White River Junction, VT 05001.
A Note from HROC: Time passes with the blink of an eye.
Julia was a sweet person, kind and compassionate. She had been a parishioner of HROC since early childhood and had many friends among the kids’ group, joining them in church services and children’s activities. She was full of life's joy, energetic curiosity, and impulsiveness. Later, when Julia moved to Massachusetts and started working as a victim advocate at the Safe Exit Initiative organization, a few of her church friends continued to follow her on social media and occasionally exchanged texts with her. The last time she visited her home parish was for the baptism of her newborn daughter. It was such a sweet event and reunion! Over time, although we knew about Julia’s spiritual struggles and serious health issues, including cancer and diabetes, we never expected her early passing. It was truly heartbreaking.
Despite her struggles, Julia never lost faith in God and His mercy, and after taking a wrong turn in life, she worked hard to find her way back to the straight path that leads to the Light of Christ and reconciliation with Him. The clearest examples of this are her own posts from the last few months of her life, which she spent partly in the hospital.
“The soul of a humble man is like the sea: throw a stone into the sea... for a moment it will ruffle the surface a little, and then sink to the bottom. Thus, do afflictions disappear down into the heart of the humble man because the strength of the Lord is with him.” (+ St. Silouan of Mt. Athos)
“I am living proof that God allows some fools more time to get it right! He knew my heart was better than my actions!”
“Some seasons feel like survival, but even in those times, He is loving me through the mess.”
“I’m excited to start my new creative journey in professional mode!”
And the very last tragic cry: “God, take my will and my life. Guide me in my recovery. Show me how to live.”
May the Lord God rest Julia’s soul and grant consolation to her grieving family, especially her teenage daughter Sofiya. Memory Eternal to you, dear Julia!
