A member of the Rollins College Ski Team

Julia Coyle-Gruver was an accomplished competitive skier from West Virginia. Julia was also a member of the Rollins College Ski Team from 1973 through 1977. She competed in four Collegiate Championships and was a Four-year Letterman and Scholar Athlete. Julia was a solid three-event skier whose fun loving spirit was infectious to all who were around her. Julia’s bright red hair was often seen along the shoreline cheering, not only her teammates, but also fellow competitors from all schools. Julia was raised in Charleston West Virginia, the granddaughter of Homer A. Holt, the 20th governor of West Virginia.

She was an active mother of three and recognized accomplished pilot. Julia was married to Steven Gruver, a petroleum executive with Ensco Inc., a Dallas-based offshore oil and gas-drilling contractor. The job took the Gruvers around the world: They lived in Damascus, Syria; Las Mirabellas, Venezuela; and Aberdeen, Scotland before moving to Lafayette, LA in 1999. The Gruver Family perished in a small plane crash in 2002. Along with Julia were her husband, three daughters Amanda, 15, and twins Sarah and Elizabeth, 12 and Julia’s parents, George and Julia Coyle of Charleston, WV. 

Julia is fondly remembered by fellow Rollins team members and legacy friends, Susan Johnson Barry, Dave Freygang, Paul Lupinacci, Dede David Mahler, Geoff Spencer, Bobby Reich, Dave and Debbie Wiley and Susan Douglass Quirk.