Julie Backus Smith, age 57, died Monday, December 22, 2003. The native of Atlanta was a lifelong resident of Savannah. She graduated from Savannah Country Day School, attended Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, VA and graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Special Education. While at Georgia she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and the Pandora Court. She was a longtime employee of Backus Cadillac/Pontiac, Inc. and was a member of Renaissance Savannah and St. John's Episcopal Church. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Telfair Museum of Art, the Mathew Reardon Center and the Backus Children's Hospital. She was a former chairman of the board of Tidelands, Inc. and a former member of the Junior League of Savannah She was an advocate for the Chatham/Savannah Citizen's Advocacy and represented District 1 on the Chatham County Commission from 1988 until 1992. She was a founding member of the Savannah Striders and promoted running in the Savannah area. She ran in the Boston, New York and Grandfather Mountain Marathons on numerous occasions and at the age of 55 she also participated in the Disney World Marathon. At one time in her career she earned the title of fastest female runner in the Savannah area. Survivors: a daughter and son-in-law, Jean and Thompson Conrade, of Savannah; her mother, Marie Backus McGaughey and her husband, Frank McGaughey; brothers and sisters, George B. (Scott) Backus, Jr., Elison McAllaster; Kim Reardon, Georgette Maner and Gordon Backus; 13 nieces and nephews. Visitation: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 26 at Fox & Weeks Funeral Director, Hodgson Chapel. Funeral Service: 12:00 Noon on Saturday, December 27, 2003 at St. John's Episcopal Church. Burial: Bonaventure Cemetery Remembrances: Backus Children's Hospital, 4700 Waters Ave., Savannah, GA 31404, Mathew Reardon Center, PO Box 14669, Savannah, GA 31416, Hospice Savannah, P.O. Box 13190, Savannah, GA 31416 or St. John's Episc opal Church, 1 West Macon St., Savannah, GA 31401. Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors Hodgson Chapel Savannah Morning News, December 26, 2003