Julia Cannon, formerly of Amherst, was born on March 10, 1995, in Voorhees, NJ and passed away on May 2, 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, FL at the age of 26. She is survived by her parents, Andrew and Brenda (Boyd) Cannon of Amherst, older sister, Margeaux of Albany, NY, grandfather Robert Boyd, formerly of Peterbororough, NH, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who love her very much.

Julia lived in Mount Laurel, NJ until she was 13 and then moved with her family to Amherst, NH, graduating from Souhegan High School in 2013. She moved to Florida in 2015, where she attended Jersey College School of Nursing and graduated as an RN in 2018.

Julia said repeatedly that she found herself in nursing. After passing her nursing exams on her first try, Julia was invited to be a part of an intensive operating room nurse training program at Broward Health. Julia was living in Fort Lauderdale and working as an Operating Room nurse at Broward County Hospital in Coral Springs. Her employers and coworkers described her as an enthusiastic learner, totally engaged, always present with her patients, and in command of the operating room suite.

Julia felt her emotions deeply and struggled with addiction. Her family believes that her overdose was an accident. For those who are unfamiliar, overdose is common after an extended period of sobriety due to low tolerance. Julia was proud of her sobriety and worked hard on her recovery up until the day she died. Julia was sick and her illness won.

Julia was bright, beautiful, compassionate, brave, and fun. She was adorable, funny and exquisitely feminine. She loved cars and rap music. She had a talent for backflips and handstands, and the beach was her happy place, never missing an opportunity to swim to a buoy or cliff jump. As a teenager, she lovingly cared for snakes, spiders, geckos, and a chameleon. She loved her puppy Mac. She was a fierce friend and a loyal sister and daughter.

A memorial celebration will be held at Julia’s parents’ house at 1 Warren Way in Amherst, NH on May 15th from 2-6pm, with opportunities for guests to share stories about Julia starting at 4pm. Masks and social distancing are encouraged.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Julia Cannon Memorial Fund. All funds will be applied to the Jersey College School of Nursing simulation lab for surgical nursing skills. To donate, please visit www.gofundme.com/julia-cannon-memorial-fund.

If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or drug problems, please call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).