Julie Wicks Giltner

Julie was a loving, caring, and kind soul who was known for her compassion and strength. She died at St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma due to surgical complications on April 12th 2026.

Julie was born in 1963 to parents Charles Wicks and Miriam Day Wicks and spent most of her life living in Corvallis Oregon. Julie was a bright and social child who loved to learn and had an easy time making friends. After high school she attended Pacific Lutheran University where she majored in education with a focus on math and social studies. While at PLU she met Todd Giltner, the love of her life, where their friendship bloomed into something more. Between her junior and senior year at PLU Julie joined Up With People, a traveling singing group and spent time traveling the United States, Canada and Europe. She was proud of the fact that she got to see King Charles and shook hands with the Pope. She remained lifelong friends with many members of her cast. After marrying in 1985 and graduating college in 1986 Julie and Todd moved to Puyallup to begin their life together. They both were hired by the Puyallup School District where Julie worked at several junior high schools over the course of her career. She began to scale back her teaching and began tutoring when her oldest child, Kathryn Giltner Pyer, was born in 1994. Her tutoring career blossomed with her growing family, and in 1998 she had a second child, Alex Giltner. In 2008 Julie was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She never let this define her as she continued tutoring, being active in their church, being a valued member of her PEO chapter, and staying in touch with her many friends. In June of 2025 both she and Todd retired and they enjoyed taking several international trips before she had her final surgery.

Julie will always be remembered for her ability to go out of her way for others and for being a loving and attentive listener. She is survived by her husband of 40 years Todd Giltner, her two children Alex Giltner and Kathryn Giltner Pyer married to son in law Brian Pyer, and her cat Snow Twinkle.

Her service will be June 27th at 10:30AM at First Presbyterian Church in Puyallup. If you would like to make a charity donation in her name please consider The National MS Society.

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