Julien "Shoe" Shoemaker, of Williston, VT, formerly of Lexington, MA, died August 5, 2022, at the age of 91, with his wife and daughters at his side.

Shoe was the beloved husband of Martha E. (Strauss) Shoemaker and loving father of Linda Shoemaker and her partner Louise Grasmere of Arlington, MA, Rorie Dunphey and her husband Roy of Underhill, VT, and the late David Shoemaker, who died in a mountaineering accident on Mount Washington in 1979.  Shoe is also survived by two beloved grandchildren, Kyle and Anna Dunphey, both currently of Salt Lake City, UT, and by many loving nieces and nephews, whom he adored.  Shoe was the devoted brother of the late C. Bix Shoemaker and Theodore Shoemaker, and son of the late Theodore and Mary Louise (Beiderbecke) Shoemaker.

Shoe was a U.S. Army Korean War veteran and a graduate of Lexington High School and Tufts University.  He was well-liked by all, serving as his high school class president, captain of multiple sports teams, and president of Delta Upsilon fraternity at Tufts.

After brief stints working in the insurance industry in Indianapolis, IN, and for his family's home improvement company, Shoemaker, Inc., Shoe worked for most of his career in the payroll and comptroller's offices at Raytheon Industries in Bedford, MA.  An "old school" accountant until the end, Shoe kept monthly household financial ledgers by hand until the month of his death, never conceding a computer could do it any better.

Shoe was the proud nephew of jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke, the cornet player, pianist and composer thought to be one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920's.  Shoe loved early traditional jazz and swing music, and literally wore out his complete collection of Bix record albums (especially Bix and Tram ).  Shoe and his family traveled frequently to the annual "BIX Fest" in Davenport, Iowa, where Bix's descendants are still treated as minor celebrities.  Shoe shied away from the attention, but was always delighted to hear the bands and meet the musicians dedicated to preserving and celebrating Bix's music and legacy.

Above all, Shoe was a devoted family man.  He didn't care about accolades or advancement, and never wanted to be the center of attention.  More than anything, he wanted a strong, happy family life.

Shoe first met Marti on a blind date at Colby Junior College in New London, NH, and both say they immediately knew they had found "the one."  Shoe loved Marti's adventurous spirit, and together, they embraced a life of many adventures, especially in retirement.  They enjoyed biking on rail trails all around the country and kayaking on lakes and rivers throughout New England.  Just this spring, Shoe and Marti were featured as an example of "healthy aging" in the Deseret News . You can read the article here .  Marti and Shoe celebrated their 65 ^th wedding anniversary in June.

As a father and grandfather, Shoe delighted in seeing his kids and grandkids doing the things they loved.  He and Marti would pop up at Linda and Louise's concerts, Rorie and Roy's home sites, Kyle and Anna's school and sporting events.  He often said "nothing makes me happier than to see our kids and grandkids happy and doing things they love."

Shoe relished in the joys of a few simple pleasures – a hot cup of coffee with the New York Times crossword (always in pen!), a fine single malt scotch, a perfectly ripe plum.  He loved reading maps, and was a master at staying off the highway, in favor of slow routes, backroads and scenic byways.  And if, in so doing, he stumbled upon a good old-fashioned ice cream stand, well, that was a good day, indeed.

A Celebration of Shoe's life will be held on Saturday, October 29, at the Acton Congregational Church, 12 Concord Road, Acton MA.   Musical tribute to Bix Beiderbecke, featuring Billy Novick and friends begins at 1:30.  Service of remembrance begins at 2:00.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Shoe's memory may be made to the Appalachian Mountain Club, The Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society, The Compassionate Friends, or the Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Interment will be private, at the Canney Hill Cemetery, College Road, Center Harbor, NH.