Julia Stimson Thorne (September 16, 1944 – April 27, 2006) was an American writer. She was the first wife of

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

, who was U.S. Senator during their marriage.

Biography

Thorne was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on September 16, 1944, the daughter of Alice (Barry) and Landon Ketchum Thorne Jr. Her maternal great-grandfather was journalist David S. Barry. Thorne spent much of her childhood in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

where her father worked various jobs. She graduated from the Foxcroft School in 1962. She also took some classes at the New York School of Interior Design and at Radcliffe. Julia Thorne was a direct eleventh generation descendant of John Bowne, a defiant activist in the struggle for religious freedom. William Thorne Sr., third signatory of the Flushing Remonstrance is also an ancestor. Thorne was also a distant cousin of her husband John Kerry through their common ancestor Elizabeth Fones. Thorne married

on May 23, 1970, and wore a dress that was over "two centuries old." She and Kerry had two daughters together, Alexandra Forbes Kerry and Vanessa Bradford Kerry. During their marriage, Julia began showing signs of depression and later wrote that she had at one time contemplated

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

. In the 1980s, she created a nonprofit called the Depression Initiative to educate people about depression. Thorne and Kerry were divorced on July 25, 1988 after a six-year separation. She overcame depression by 1990, and by all accounts the two had an amicable relationship. She married Richard J. Charlesworth in 1997 and they moved to Bozeman, Montana. She continued to be supportive of Kerry's run for president in 2004. Thorne died from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

on April 27, 2006, in her home in

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is n ...

Books

Her book, ''You Are Not Alone: Words of Experience and Hope for the Journey Through Depression'' (1993) (with Larry Rothstein) () collects accounts of different people who have faced depression.

Ann Landers Ann Landers was a pen name created by ''Chicago Sun-Times'' advice columnist Ruth Crowley in 1943 and taken over by Esther Pauline "Eppie" Lederer in 1955. For 56 years, the ''Ask Ann Landers'' syndicated advice column was a regular featur ...

wrote that "this little book could be a lifesaver and the best $10 you will ever spend." ''A Change of Heart: Words of Experience and Hope for the Journey Through Divorce'' (1996) ()

References

External links

Julia Stimson Thorne's Family Tree

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorne, Julia 1944 births 2006 deaths American motivational writers Women motivational writers Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts Deaths from bladder cancer in the United States Forbes family John Kerry Kerry family Winthrop family Writers from Bozeman, Montana Politicians from Concord, Massachusetts Writers from New York City Spouses of Massachusetts politicians American twins People from Bay Shore, New York