Julie Adolphson's Obituary
Julie Len Adolphson (Hoffman) passed away on April 14, 2025, in Daviess County, MO. Julie was born in Battle Creek, MI to Gloria and William Hoffman on February 17, 1961. She was raised in Galesburg, MI by her mother, Gloria, along with her three siblings. Julie was preceded in death by her mother, Gloria Meserve Hoffman (Cole), her father, William Hoffman, father-in-law Douglas Adolphson, her brother Tom Hoffman, and her brother-in-law Victor Adolphson. She is survived by her husband, Alec Adolphson; her son Andrew Kent (Hall) and his husband Jesse of Kansas City, KS; son Joshua Hall and his wife Bryanna Krekeler, and three granddaughters, Elia, Aria, and Talia of Madison, WI; Gordon Adolphson of Washington, D.C.; Douglas Adolphson of Raymore, mother-in-law, Sharon Adolphson, her sister Jane Hoffman, of Kalamazoo, MI; and sister Kathy (Hoffman) and Don Cooney of Kalamazoo, MI. She is also survived by nephews Michael Hoffman, Anthony Hoffman, and Nathaniel Hoffman, and countless other cousins, friends, and colleagues.
Julie’s family and friends will host a celebration of life ceremony on May 17, 2025, at 2:00 pm at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS, the location and other details can be found here (https://pp.events/b2nvGDmb). In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Veterans Community Project (https://www.veteranscommunityproject.org/) or to any charity of your choosing.
Julie was a voracious learner and had a keen interest in science from a young age. As a child, she would often spend days sitting in the family car during thunderstorms to observe the weather. Julie worked hard, always. Her siblings recall early babysitting gigs, and she got her first “official job” at The Root Beer Stand in downtown Galesburg. Julie was always happy to share knowledge and lend a hand, helping her younger sister, Kathy, get her first job at The Root Beer Stand, too. Throughout high school, Julie worked a few different jobs; The Root Beer Stand, Schuler’s in Marshall, MI, and Matthiessen’s Nursing Home. Her natural curiosity made her an excellent student, which combined with her unflinching work ethic led her to be Galesburg-Agusta High School Class of 1979 Salutatorian. Julie was treasured by her peers in school, and she was crowned Homecoming Queen. She played tennis in high school and passed her skills on whenever she had the chance, often taking down her adult children in straight sets later in life.
After graduating high school, Julie enrolled at Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, MI with an eye on medical school. As with many young people, her focus changed, and she entered the School of Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Her childhood fascination with weather finally won the day, however, and she completed a BS in Meteorology in 1983. Her love of science, cheerful nature, and passion for life was demonstrated often in college. Classmates recall scaling the Meteorology Department’s building to use the observatory on clear nights, and she was always ready to share her enthusiasm during late night cramming sessions. Julie was constantly searching for opportunities to learn, to explore, and to understand, but she was never a stranger to fun. As remembered by her college roommate, prior to taking her oath, the two of them took an epic road trip to Cedar Point to ride roller coasters, traversed the Appalachians, and ended up in Myrtle Beach, SC before returning to Detroit for Julie’s United State Air Force swearing in ceremony. In 1983, Julie took her Oath of Office and formalized her dedication to service of others.
After completing Officer Training School (OTS) at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. Julie’s career in the USAF spanned over a decade and crossed the globe. Her first post was Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia. She flew aboard the EC135 Airborne Command Post “Head Dancer.” Julie produced over 700 hemispheric analyses completing 12 deployments. She landed everywhere from Alaska to Egypt. Langley is where she first met Karl Hall on a late and stormy night at the base security gate. Karl and Julie’s chance meeting led to their marriage. Her next assignment was with the 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, TX. As an Academic Weather Instructor, she taught over 300 students a year in aviation weather. Her dedication to duty earned her an incentive flight on a Northrop T-38 Talon Fighter Trainer, an adventure she never forgot. While stationed at Laughlin, Julie gave birth to her first child, Andrew in 1986. After giving birth, Julie became very ill with an infection, and it was touch and go but mother and child persevered. Through her service at Laughlin, she earned an opportunity to further her education at the University of Michigan at the USAF’s expense. She jumped at the chance to return to her alma mater and expand her knowledge, finishing her Masters in Space Physics. While she was earning that degree Karl and Julie welcomed their second son, Joshua, in Ypsilanti, MI. Later in life, Julie would recall that she had never envisioned herself being a mother, but once she was, she said it became the driving force for everything she did. Friends, coworkers, and family all remember Julie’s command: “Family comes first.”
Their next stop was Hanscom AFB in Massachusetts where she was Staff Meteorologist for Space Systems. One of her many accomplishments at Hanscom was to avoid $156 million in wasted installation costs. Her investigation discovered that the planned location for a Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GOEDSS) site was unsuitable for the mission, allowing the AF to find an alternate location for the site before construction began. In 1991, Julie was assigned as the Commander of the Sanvito Solar Observatory at San Vito dei Normanni Air Station, Italy. Karl and Julie moved their two young sons across the Atlantic to the “heel of the boot.” Julie took her first command of Detachment 8, 4th Weather Wing where, as a Captain, she directly supervised a team of eight enlisted weather forecasters and four weather maintenance personnel. Her team was tasked with managing the optical and radio telescope array, ensuring it was “on the Sun” 365 days a year. Her unit was part of a network of observatories that ring the globe and watch the sun 24 hours a day, providing solar weather forecasting to NORAD in Cheyenne Mountain, CO and to NASA operations. These forecasts provide timely space weather information that is used to protect satellites, spacecraft and astronauts from high intensity radiation caused by solar flares. Her dedication to her mission was eclipsed only by her unwavering support for those under her command. Julie always made sure that family came first, especially in that remote assignment, organizing and participating in cookouts, a late-night game of pinochle and a percolator, or group stargazing out near the telescopes. Her curiosity wasn’t just about scientific endeavors, she also made sure her young sons had the chance to experience the culture, food, and history of their host country by exploring the historic sites of western civilization all throughout the Mediterranean. Julie and her family left Italy in 1993, returning to the States for what would become Julie’s last USAF post.
Julie concluded her service in 1994 at Scott AF near O’Fallon, IL. Where she consulted on space-based projects for the Air Force, one of her last missions was to re-investigate the events at Roswell New Mexico on the request of Congress, we’ll let you decide what she found. Throughout her USAF career she earned numerous awards for her ability to lead, her scientific contributions, and her steadfast commitment to her mission. While the list is long, among the awards Julie earned were a Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal 2 devices, AF Achievement Medal 1 device, Outstanding Unit Award one device, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Air Force recognition Ribbon, and a National Defense Service Medal. She was honorably discharged on October 1, 1994. Her excellence as a leader was only just beginning.
Julie took a position at The Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training (COMET) in Boulder, CO. Always eager to educate, she enlisted and trained Andrew (age 8) to read a map and navigate the young family on the drive from Illinois to their new home in Longmont, CO. At COMET, she trained Meteorologists from around the world on the cutting edge of weather forecasting technology. Although she was a single mother for a time, she never compromised on ensuring her boys came first. She presented at career days at their school, gave tours for field trips, and perfected her chocolate chip cookie recipe. Everyone always listened with rapt attention as she explained the many scientific experiments she was working on. Julie always welcomed questions, and she was an accomplished scientific communicator, such that even grade school kids walked away from her talks struck by her contagious enthusiasm.
Julie met her future husband, Alec Adolphson while Stationed at San Vito Air Station. Alec was part of the Information Management team that maintained the communications for Julie's high porosity solar mission. Alec worked directly with Julie and her team on many projects and outages, including traveling to Chicksands AFB, England as a consultant to clear up a communications issue that was plaguing her unit. Alec was adopted by the observatory unit as well as Julie, Karl, and the boys. Julie always keeps in touch with her friends as she did with Alec. They reconnected when Julie worked at COMET. Alec was stationed at Francis E. Warren AFB in Cheyenne, Wyoming where Julie had a chance to intern at the Cheyenne Weather Station, working to enter the NWS. Alec, Julie and the boys spent time in Longmont and Cheyenne getting acquainted again. Julie and Alec were married on November 14, 1995. The following year, Julie and Alec welcomed her third son, Gordon. Julie was as steadfast a mother as could be imagined, caring for and guiding her children through the changes happening all around them. She was also a Cub Scout Den Mother while Andy and Josh were in scouts. She never stopped growing her career and ceaselessly serving the public. As usual, the family never overlooked a chance for fun and for learning. They took trips back and forth to Cheyenne, WY near F.E. Warren AFB, where Alec was stationed; stopping along the way at historic landmarks to learn the history of the Indigenous Peoples who once called those lands home. Julie imparted upon her sons the importance of safeguarding our environment and appreciating the beauty of nature on countless trips into Rocky Mountain National Park. For her entire life, Julie had always wanted a 1968 Camaro. Alec found her a beautiful blue one with white rally stripes and a black vinyl top and they quickly added it to the family. Years later, a former colleague remembers the first time they met Julie, she rolled up the ‘68 that day. In many folks' minds, this fact alone seals the deal to name her “The Coolest MIC.”
As she strove for a position in the National Weather Service, she declined the first offer made to her, which as many will know, is a risky move. Another former colleague remembers Julie as always saying “know your worth.” Her conviction to her own self-worth paid off, as shortly thereafter, she was offered a position as Science and Operations Officer at the new weather office in North Webster, IN. The family of five moved to northern Indiana and spent a Fall and Winter season in temporary housing. Julie strove to give her family stability and wasn’t about to let a little delay in housing dampen spirits. She always made sure her boys had the best birthdays and holidays while tirelessly searching for a permanent home. Alec and Julie settled in a house out in the sticks (for lack of a better term). While initially leery, her boys took to the forests around their house with the same curiosity Julie had for all things. In 1999, Julie and Alec welcomed their fourth son, Douglas. The family loved their house in the woods and had many fun adventures there. Julie was instrumental in moving the weather office from the temporary trailers into a permanent structure that still stands today. She was also the team lead for the nation’s first StormReady success story and even adopted the stray cat that had taken up residence in the trailers. Webster the cat lived with the family to a ripe old age of 24. All the while, Julie still found time to give lectures at her sons’ schools, provide public tours of the new buildings, and be a mom to her children. What’s more, Julie was tireless in her mission to serve others outside her family and work. She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday School and Confirmation for her older sons. She volunteered at school functions, made it to every football game, band concerts, marching competitions, and parent teacher conference. In an almost miraculous show of strength, she ran at least three miles nearly every day, often accompanied by Andrew on his bike because he couldn’t keep up on foot and sometimes pushing Gordie in a stroller. Her energy level never seemed to waver as she balanced a successful career along with supporting and loving her family.
In 2000, Julie accepted a position as Meteorologist-In-Charge (“MIC”) at the weather office in Glasgow, MT. Glasgow was Alec’s childhood home and was a perfect place to raise their four boys. No stranger to cross country moves, the family’s matriarch had no fear of the biting cold and island-like isolation in Glasgow. To no one’s surprise, Julie supercharged the office in Glasgow, and it wasn’t just the NWS Office under which she lit a fire. She hit Glasgow like a hurricane. As her boys got older, Julie found even more opportunities for helping others. She joined the Soroptimist International chapter in Glasgow, she volunteered to take calls on the Women’s Hotline for domestic violence victims, raised money for needy children’s winter clothing, organized and executed charity programs for Christmas gift-giving, and taught Sunday school at First Lutheran Church. All that and she still found time to be the best mother her boys could have asked for. She traveled with her boys to hockey tournaments, band performances, and football games, beaming with pride as her sons took to the ice or field or stage. Julie never stopped helping others, whether family or not.
Julie was always looking for a new challenge and in 2006, she accepted a position as MIC at the NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill WFO. She spent the remainder of her career in Pleasant Hill. There she forged even more relationships, both professional and personal, that would further her impact across the NWS. She was a big believer in the power of a good team, and she was quick to support her staff on their own professional goals. Beyond just her impact on the local office, Julie spent months on assignments at various locations around the country. Including temporary assignments at the NWS Headquarters, National Center for Environmental Prediction, and various WFO’s as interim MIC. Through this tremendous professional life, Julie never passed up an opportunity to help when she saw a need. While still working full time as MIC, she volunteered for her younger sons’ band boosters, worked concessions stands for fundraising, baked for Boy Scout camps, inspired the completion of two Eagle Scout awards, worked on charity projects around the KC metro, sat on several committees, and taught Sunday School at Lord of Love Lutheran Church. Her greatest pride was watching her younger boys’ marching band competitions. Everyone remembers her sharing videos of every performance, always able to identify Gordie or Doug in formation. In 2017, she achieved a lifelong goal of running the Boston Marathon. She completed it, grinning like a mad woman, alongside her daughter-in-law Bryanna. Joshua and his wife Bryanna presented her with a memorial plaque on which to hang her finisher’s medal, she did so with pride and admiration from her family. Her passion for servant leadership can be best seen in the many USAF colleagues, NWS forecasters, administrative staff, IT professionals, and managers who attended her retirement in March 2023.
Julie wasn’t ready to sit back on her laurels and continued her volunteering (and accepting awards) throughout retirement. As an avid runner, though having sworn off marathons, she participated in a fundraiser close to her heart: the Veterans Community Project “Run Home” in 2022 and 2023. Together with her husband biking alongside, she ran a 12-mile leg between Kansas City and St. Louis, MO to raise money for homeless veterans. That same year, she was recognized by her high school alma mater for the 2023 Galesburg-Augusta Inspirational Alumni Award. Above her accolades, volunteering, and career success, Julie was, as always, “family first.” Her calendar was always full of trips to Madison, WI to be with her granddaughters, Elia, Aria, and Talia. The only time anyone can remember her (temporarily) slowing down was on the day after she spent days (or even weeks) with the girls. Julie was a force to be reckoned with in the grandma department. She never passed up an opportunity to make cookies, find exciting books or projects for her grandkids, or invent a new game with them. She imparted to them a fierce streak of curiosity and independence, and everyone can see her sparkle for life alight in their eyes.
Julie was fearless in the face of the tumult in today’s political climate. She volunteered at the League of Women Voters where she tracked bills, provided education on voter registration and participation, and curated social media accounts. She took her USAF Oath of Office to protect our freedoms beyond her service. Tirelessly, she worked the polls in every election after her NWS retirement. Poll working, LWV, and family commitments weren’t enough to give Julie pause. She also volunteered as an Ombudsman at local elder care facilities, ensuring all residents were given a voice and ensuring their rights were protected. As a hospice volunteer, she gave weary giving families respite in their darkest time.
Julie Adolphson didn’t just leave a running shoe print on this world. She kicked the door down and seismically shifted it. From her decades of service to our country – in uniform or civilian dress – to her ceaseless love for her family, she was, truly, more than just a force of nature. Julie was a stalwart supporter of equal rights for all, the power of unity in the face of adversity, and the strength of love over all things. It is impossible to capture Julie's unbridled joy for life and her tenacity for service in just a few short pages. All who knew Julie felt the energy that radiated from the depths of her soul. She was not just a force of nature, she was a force of good, a force of joy, and force of love. She leaves behind a legacy in her children and grandchildren, in the dozens of NWS mentees, and in the lives of so many people she reached a hand to in their hour of need. She was authentically, joyously herself and her family will proudly carry the baton she has handed off to us.
What’s your fondest memory of Julie?
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