Dr. Julia (Julie) Ann Eggert

Dr. Julia (Julie) Ann Eggert, 71, of Bluffton, South Carolina went to be with her Lord on July 14, 2022, after a long and brave battle with cancer.  Throughout her fight, she stuck to her mantra and “chose joy”.   Julie was born on November 16, 1950 to Charles and Rosalie Nunemaker in Hutchinson, Kansas.  She was married to the love of her life, Doug Eggert, on May 16, 1981 and they recently celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary.  Julie and Doug have two sons, Devon and Jonathan, and their family life was filled with lots of laughter and fun, whether at soccer games, beach trips to Seabrook Island, or while relaxing on the screened-in-porch with one of their three family Beagles.  She was also a passionate Kansas Jayhawks’ basketball fan.

Julie was a charter member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina and remained active in the church for more than thirty years.  She served the church in many roles, including President and her most favored role, organist.  She and Doug moved to Bluffton, South Carolina in 2019 and recently joined Island Lutheran Church in Hilton Head.

Julie held a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Clemson University, and her life’s work included assessing cancer patients at local cancer treatment centers, conducting oncology research and teaching the next generation of nurses while on the faculty at Clemson.  When Julie moved to South Carolina, the state had limited access to cancer screening and genetic health information.  Julie helped implement low-cost cancer screening and developed a healthcare doctoral program at Clemson aimed at leading the change to improve health and health care nationally.  She was most proud of her effort  to develop and receive approval from the South Carolina Commission on  Higher Education for the establishment of a nationally unique Healthcare Genetics Doctoral Program at Clemson University which she subsequently presided over until her retirement.

Despite her impressive academic and professional background, family was most important to Julie.  She loved nothing more than talking with family over a cup of coffee, and was always first to ask for “a big hug” before parting ways.  She especially enjoyed making cookies with her two older grandchildren (Mallory and Charlie) and looked forward to doing it with her third (Jack) when he was old enough.

Julie was preceded in death by her mother and father, as well as her sister, Carla.  She is survived by her husband and her sons Devon (wife Breighanne) and Jonathan (wife Shannon); sister Linda  (husband Tony); sisters- and brothers-in law Pam and Bob, Sherri and Curt, and Terri (husband Gary deceased); nieces Olivia  (husband Tom), Stacy (husband Rob), Stephanie (husband Jesse), Amy (husband Stephen), Corrie (husband Joshua); nephews Derek (wife Megan), Peter, and Davis; grandchildren Mallory, Charlie, and Jack; and other beloved family and friends.

A funeral service will be held at Island Lutheran Church in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at 11:00 am with burial to follow at Lowcountry Memorial Gardens, 90 Simmonsville Rd., Bluffton, SC.   In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Oncology Nursing Society Foundation ( https://www.onsfoundation.org ), Island Lutheran Church ( https://www.islandlutheran.org/index.php/en/ ),  or Hospice Care of the LowCountry ( https://hospicecarelc.org ).