Obituary
Our beloved mother, wife, sister, and daughter, Julie B Platanias, of Glencoe IL, passed away on Monday, August 30, 2021 in Chicago, IL, surrounded by her family following a four-year battle with MDS/Leukemia. Throughout her illness, Julie was always incredibly optimistic. She fought very hard against her blood cancer, always hoping that she'd once again be able to live her normal and beautiful life.
Julie was born Julie Beth Schwartz on May 3, 1958 in Long Branch, NJ to Marlene and Martin Schwartz. She grew up in Boston, MA and then moved to the Washington DC area with her family. After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of Maryland, she worked on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. She soon met her future husband, Leonidas (Leon) Platanias, a doctor and researcher. They got engaged after only four months of knowing each other and a year later, in March of 1986, they were married. Together, they moved to New York City and in 1989, they continued on to Chicago, soon thereafter welcoming their first child, Martina, and four years later, their son Constantine.
In addition to raising and supporting her family, Julie was an incredibly talented fine arts photographer and a creative artist. An award-winning photographer, she was a member of the Chicago Photographic Arts Society with her work featured in exhibitions in regional and national venues. She composed her first book with abstract photography images from her first stem cell transplant.
Julie is survived by her husband, Leonidas, and her children, Martina and Constantine, along with her two siblings, Toby and Debbie, and her mother, Marlene. She was preceded in death by her father Martin.
A memorial service took place on August 31, 2021 at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Arrangements by Goldman Funeral Group. www.goldmanfuneralgroup.com
Donations
The Myelodysplastic Syndromes Foundation, Inc https://www.mds-foundation.org/