JULIA BALFOUR

I was introduced to Julia Balfour in 2010, by our mutual friend Carol Adams. We were all doing start-ups, trying to build a business from zero. I was sharing desk space with my accountant in Old Lyme, Julia was doing the same in Old Saybrook, the birthplace of JULIA BALFOUR, LLC and Carol was grinding coffee beans when not tending the goats in Lyme. 

I met Julia for the first time that summer, explaining that I needed a graphic arts package, company name, logo, tagline, website, communications program, stationery, and business cards. And, of course, I needed it yesterday at a price I could afford, if not pro-bono. 

Julia didn’t flinch, she went to work. She would email me at midnight with a “new idea” and we’d text back and forth tweaking the “look and feel” of my new company, Alpaca United. 

She designed a trade-show exhibit and followed through on the myriad details required to secure space in an international show, ITMA, Barcelona, Spain, 2011.

Julia was not only a brilliant graphic artist, RISD and Parsons, she was the full package, businesswoman, wife, mother, and friend. This girl was an iron fist in a velvet glove, strong inside, charming, and engaging on the outside. 

We’ll miss you, my dear friend, rest in peace, you’ve earned it.