Julie Rose Gallego-Gonzalez was born November 10th, 1961 and passed away June 8th, 2026 after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer. Julie was a loving daughter, faithful wife, beloved mother, cherished sister, caring tia, and dedicated maestra. Julie’s impact on the Tucson community will leave a resounding presence in all who knew her and beyond.

Julie was born to Ralph and Mary Gonzalez in Austin, Texas. She spent her early childhood in Spain and England while her father served in the United States Air Force. In 1968, Julie moved to Tucson, where she would make it her home for the next 58 years. Julie found her passion for Mexican folklorico at the age of 11, after watching a performance with her mother at Kennedy Park. Inspired by the colorful dresses and beautiful music, she soon joined Corazones de Oro, a folklórico group that was part of her tio’s Charros de Tucson organization. Julie attended Tucson High School and joined Ballet Folklorico Los Tucsonenses, continuing her love for folklorico and Hispanic arts. After graduating from THS she continued her education at the University of Arizona and graduated in Interior Design. During this time, Julie met the love of her life, her husband, Tony Gallego.

In 1987, Julie began teaching students Mexican Folklorico in the cafeteria of St. John the Evangelist Catholic School. In a short time she founded Ballet Folklorico de San Juan which became Tucson’s official Folklorico dance group. As Julie continued to be a pioneer in the Ballet Folklorico scene, she developed and produced one of her most meaningful productions, Viva Arizona! . Julie, with the help of her father, Ralph, curated a colorful and lively production of the history of Arizona. This production showcased dances outside her traditional folklorico, spanning into hoedown, swing, and modern dance. Viva Arizona! reached thousands of Tucson students and adult Tucsonans alike, her artistic vision reaching far beyond the walls of her southside dance studio. In the years to come, Julie and Tony expanded into Viva Dance Company and added dance disciplines such as ballet, tap, hip hop, jazz, and mariachi. In 2007 the Viva Performing Arts Center building on Park Ave was built, which became a cultural center for the Hispanic arts community.

Over the decades she taught and mentored thousands of children in the Tucson and Southern Arizona communities. She gave her students a place to build self-confidence, grow their love and pride for Hispanic culture, and provided experiences to perform for the public. Julie helped facilitate Mariachi Conferences, international workshops, local fiestas, and special community events. Her dancers traveled across the United States to perform in California, Nevada, Texas, Colorado and New York. She also organized international trips to Acapulco, Guadalajara, Ensenada, Mexico and the 2012 London Olympics.

After three decades of success in the Hispanic Arts, Julie focused her attention on personal endeavors. In 2015, she purchased Casa de Inspiracion Catholic Gift Shop and built a space for the store inside Viva Performing Arts Center. She renamed the store to Ave Maria Gift Shop. This gave her the ability to fulfill her passion to carry a Catholic ministry to people in the community. Not long after, Julie was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of bringing the mysteries of the rosary to the stage and created The Living Rosary Production.

Julie has been recognized by many Tucson leaders and has received various awards for her dedication and passion for her community. Her most cherished accomplishments include being a University of Arizona Hispanic Alumni Honoree, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year, and receiving the Proclamation of Julie Gallego-Gonzalez Day bestowed by the City of Tucson. Julie was a trailblazer for our youth and will continue to be an inspiration for future generations.

Julie will be remembered for her bright smile, genuine warmth, special ability to connect with people, and her aptitude to see a person’s potential in everyone she met. Her unique affection, she called “sugar”, which included tight hugs, “pumpkins” and “babydolls” will be sorely missed by all those who had the privilege to receive it. Julie’s bright light will continue to burn in the hearts of the people she inspired, touched and loved throughout the years. Her legacy will forever shine brightly.

Julie is survived by her husband of 42 years, Tony Gallego, her three children Clarissa, Chanel, and Carlos, her grandchildren James, Patrick, Brian, Miabella and Daniella Noel, as well as her mother Mary and her sisters Theresa, Debbie and Patricia.

Your prayers, love, and support are the greatest gifts to our family during this time. While we are not asking for donations, those who sincerely wish to contribute in Julie’s memory may do so directly to her husband, Tony Gallego, who will be placing an honorary bench in Julie’s name at Holy Hope Mausoleum.