Julie Chvatal, of Cypress, Texas, went home to be with Jesus the Lord on Tuesday August 24, 2021.  She was born on December 17, 1967 as Giuliana Marie Angela Garau to her parents, Anna (Caselli) and Giovanni Garau.  Her father and mother were from Carloforte and Genova, Italy, and met each other after immigrating to New York.  They raised Julie, and her two sisters, Ann Marie and Mary Grace, in Mount Kisco alongside their extended family and many close friends.  Julie graduated from Fox Lane High School in 1986 and attended Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York, where she graduated in 1990 with a degree in Elementary Education.   After a brief time as a New York City private school teacher, she took the daring step to move to Houston after learning about the significant opportunities for educators in the Houston Independent School District.  Her first job was as a pre-Kindergarten teacher at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in the Lindale neighborhood, where she quickly established herself as a very capable and loving teacher. The next year, she transitioned to John J. Herrera Elementary, another HISD North Area school.  Julie was a very caring and thoughtful teacher and quickly became a leader in the North Area.  She was widely respected and was named North Area Teacher of the Year in 1994 and was a semifinalist for Teacher of the Year for the HISD district wide, the largest school district in Texas.  In addition to excelling as a teacher, it was in those early years in Houston where Julie enjoyed the many opportunities the city offered.  Most of all, it was during this time that she fell in love with the young man who would become her husband, Gary Joseph Chvatal.   Julie and Gary were engaged and later married on December 28, 1996.  They settled in the Prestonwood Forest area where they welcomed their three daughters, Becky, in 1999, followed by Katie, in 2001, and Maggie in 2003 and also enjoyed their many friends on Bideford Lane.  In 2006, the family relocated to Fairfield where Julie devoted her life to her family, supporting all of the various activities of her girls including dance, cheer and band among many others.  Julie especially enjoyed the opportunities to go on family trips during the summer - particularly the many times they enjoyed vacationing along the Florida Panhandle in Seaside and Clearwater.  She returned to teaching in 2010 where she joined the faculty at Ault Elementary School first as an aide and then as a teacher.  She was instrumental in helping to found and establish the pre-Kindergarten program for which she was recognized as Teacher of the Year.  In addition to leading the pre-Kindergarten program, Julie was later a Kindergarten teacher where she was also well-known for her dedication to her students in the classroom.  At home, Julie was also very much at ease with her two four-legged companions nearby, Gracie and Molly (Julie's "Baby Angels").  Julie also experienced the grace, love and mercy of her Savior, Jesus Christ, through attendance at Fairfield Baptist Church and later at First Baptist Church in Houston. While her life has ended so soon, Julie lived a beautiful life.  She truly made a loving and caring impact on the lives of many.  Julie lived Matthew 22:37-39 calling all of us to "love God and love people".  She rarely put herself before others and faithfully lived the principles of Philippians 2 where she always cared so much for and sought the interests of others.  In addition to her loving devotion to her own family, she would do anything she could to make the lives of her students and their families more meaningful and joyful and always put in the extra time and effort to do that.  She will be deeply missed by all that knew and loved her.

In addition to her husband, Gary, Julie leaves behind many to cherish her life including her daughters, Rebecca Ann, Katherine Elizabeth and Margaret Ellen, her sister, Ann, and husband, Gary, her mother and father-in-law, Paula & Leland, brothers-in-law Wayne, Stephen, and James, and wife, Andrea, and sister-in-law Jan, and husband, Dave. In addition, she is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces and nephews as well as many, many wonderful and loving neighbors, friends and colleagues.  Julie was preceded in death by her mother and father, Anna & John, as well as her sister, Mary Grace.

Visitation will be held at Klein Funeral Home at 16131 Champion Forest Drive, Spring, Texas 77379 on Friday, September 3, 2021, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and a Celebration of Life service at Fairfield Baptist Church, 27240 US Highway 290, Cypress, Texas 77433 on Saturday, September 4, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.