Julie Rita Zerbst

Julie Harris Zerbst, 57, of Charleston, SC, passed away peacefully on the morning of Sunday, June 1, 2025. Born on November 30, 1967, in New Orleans, LA, Julie is survived by her parents, Terry A. Harris and George J. Harris. She is also survived by her two sons, Adam Harris Zerbst and Parker Robert Zerbst; her sister, Staci Walden, of Cambridge, MA; and brothers, Stephen and Paul Harris both Charleston residents. A 1987 graduate of James Island High School, Julie was a loving mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. As a lover of nature, specifically birds, flowers, and ladybugs, she enthusiastically enjoyed being an amateur wildlife photographer - her main hobby. Often, she’d pull over on the side of the road to snap that “perfect shot” of an egret out on the marsh or a weeknight sunset over the Cooper River.

Julie enjoyed the simple things in life: listening to thunderstorms, eating big bowls of ice cream, cheering on the NHL and notoriously drinking the coldest glasses of ice water possible. She was a lover of children and a caregiver in many capacities including tirelessly volunteering for school functions and attending field trips.

She will be remembered as a fearless cancer fighter and would like to thank her closest supporters and dearest friends: Diane Condon Miligan, Elizabeth Kyzer Chubb, and Celeste Ann Kahn for being with her until the very end. A special thank you as well to Crescent Hospice for their exceptional nurses and staff dedicated to providing compassionate palliative care.

A memorial Mass will be held at Church of the Nativity on Monday, June 16, 2025, located at 1061 Folly Road, Charleston, SC, 29412 commencing at 1:00 PM, with a reception to follow.

A private interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, 604 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC, 29412 to be held at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Islands Against Cancer, a grassroots nonprofit providing cancer patients and caregivers with critical support services. Give via: Islandsaganistcancer.com.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at mcalister-smith.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Palmetto Cremation Society, 5638 North Rhett Ave., Charleston, SC 29406, (843) 722-2555.