Julien Booth
The incredible life of community-builder Julien (JB) Binford Booth came to a heartbreaking end on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at the age of 53. Julien's most prized possessions in his life were his relationships; not the businesses he built, not the properties he restored, not even the community he spent decades quietly stitching together. Julien truly saw the trees within the forest and recognized the value of his connection to each person. With his wife Kelly, he built a family, starting with a fateful setup and a declaration of love the moment she stepped out onto the trapeze of a Hobie Cat on Lake Wylie. Julien expressed his appreciation and encouragement of his girls, Kelly, Nora (22), and Anna (19), easily and often; recognizing their individual strengths and supporting them tirelessly to realize their potential. He wanted them to move through the world with both confidence and compassion. He was a fierce advocate for them, always leading with empathy and a measured understanding, no matter the task or problem in front of them.
Anna remembers being seven years old, perched on his shoulders in a crowded auction warehouse, waiting for his signal to bid, a covert squeeze on her shin. He hadn't put the paddle in her hand to entertain her: he'd asked her to see what she wanted, a blue wagon, and go after it.
Not only did Julien build a family, he diligently built up the women in it. But Julien's love was more than comforting and encouraging words; he challenged his girls constantly, pushing them past the edges of what they thought they could do, trusting that they were capable of more than they gave themselves credit for. He had an incredible drive to achieve, and just as much appetite for watching the people he loved achieve too.
Julien carried that same instinct and drive into his work, rooted in the family he'd built, and with Kelly beside him every step of the way. He started his first company, Forest Capital, the same year that Nora was born, and spent the next twenty years dutifully cultivating his clients' trust through his quarterly emails and never hesitating to pick up a call and answer their questions kindly and thoroughly. He nurtured those relationships slowly, over time, like a maturing forest of timber. Their trust in him showed it.
Julien had an ineffable confidence and conviction in his ideas, no matter if others thought they might be hare-brained. Rowan Rock & Timber (RRT), which began as an LLC for real estate acquisition and a roundabout way to buy tractors, would become one of Julien's proudest achievements, purchasing and rehabbing properties throughout Cabarrus and Rowan counties. Under this LLC, Julien applied another of his stress-tested adages: "Just Work." He would never shy away from a challenge or seemingly insurmountable problem. His contrarian spirit and defiant will allowed him to imagine and create new places for people to gather from empty shells, no matter how many excavators he got stuck in the mud along the way.
He would go on to rehabilitate twenty-two distressed buildings and land, many of which had been all but written off. Much in the same way that he could see the potential in people, JB had a knack for spotting the opportunity that nobody else had bothered to look for in these places. From building picnic tables around Charlotte for his Eagle Scout project to his rehabilitation of McGill Avenue in Concord, Julien had a gift for creating places people wanted to be.
That instinct for building found its fullest expression in the community he forged, because more than businesses, more than buildings, what Julien really knew how to spot was value in people. He had an uncanny ability to recognize potential in the people around him, in part because he was drawn most to the ones who didn't fit the mold. He saw in people not who they were but who they could be.
A lifelong learner who could always be spotted with some deeply cerebral book with meditations on life, JB had an innate sense of curiosity, and he aimed most of it at people. He always wanted to know about whatever problem or challenge you were wrestling with and was the first to ask a thoughtful question. His curiosity and mischief were both essential mechanisms of connection. It was his penchant for mischief that made him so accessible and magnetic. He was the last person to take himself too seriously. His acts of mischief, his practical jokes, the crude messages, and ill-placed stickers couldn't help but pull you in. He brought people into the joke, into the community, and once you were in, you found yourself a dear friend who would move mountains for you. His playfulness made him approachable in a way that sincerity alone never could have.
Julien knew exactly how to tell people he saw them. He communicated his appreciation and recognition quietly and routinely. He was known for his signature stationery, used to pennotes of gratitude, which started during his first dates with Kelly and grew throughout his life.With his letters, he expressed appreciation easily and often, never hesitating to acknowledge someone's effort or simply his gratitude for having met them. In addition to his letters, Julien loved participating in random acts of kindness, frequently sending flowers to the staff at Kelly's office or "paying it forward" in the drive-thru line. Julien and his dear friend Curtis had a name for the whole ongoing habit: their "Conspiracy for Good." His deep well of empathy seemed to come with a built-in sense of timing: he always knew when someone needed lifting up.
Julien brought value to his friendships and community in the form of time and energy invested, measured counsel, or even just a physical presence. He challenged the people he cared about, pushing them to grow while still accepting them exactly how they showedup. JB had an incredible gift formentorship and exercised this muscle by bringing on numerous interns at both Forest Capital and Rowan Rock & Timber, giving them the room to fail and the support to learn from it. Many of them are nowworking in a range of fields and have credited Julien for helping them grow and thrive. For the businesses on McGill Avenue, Julien was the glue. He intently assembled a community of incredible people, all small business owners. He not only built the space they shared but counseled those who carried the same ethos and hunger to build something of their own. The richness of Julien's life was measured in his connections. He was connected to his family. He was connected to his friends. He was connected to the places he developed. He was connected to each of us, and we are better for having known him.
In honor of Julien's pithy approach to writing, we wanted to share a condensed version of his guide to building lasting relationships:
Lead with curiosity before judgment; willingness to learn is paramount to understanding people
See the potential in people; value is there with effort and attitude
Communicate your appreciation and recognition early and often
Cultivate and challenge your relationships, showing up even when it's hard
He is survived by his wife and soulmate, Kelly; his daughters, Nora (22) and Anna (19); his mother, Anne Ranson, and his stepfather, Russell Ranson Jr., whom he considered a father; his step-siblings, Russell Ranson III and Ellen Moore and their children; his nephew, Russell Ranson IV (Rusty); and his nieces, Georgia Ranson and Sarah Moore.
He was preceded in death by his father, Samuel William "Bill" Booth; and his niece, Catherine Moore. Beyond his family, Julien is survived by his entire community, from the friends he made as a camper at Camp Morehead to those on McGill Avenue, all of whom we hope will carry forward some of JB's ample and frequently shared wisdom: live fiercely and don't postpone joy.
Julien's services will be held on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at The Pavilion at The Venues at Langtree, 554 Langtree Road, Mooresville, NC, officiated by Rev. Patricia Wilkerson. The service will begin at 3 p.m., and the family will receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m.
For those traveling from out of town, discounted room rates are available at Aloft Mooresville and Tru by Hilton Mooresville, subject to availability. Shuttle service will run between both hotels and the venue; times will be posted at the hotels.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Bridge, a program that Julien found transformative, or CCM, a charity which Julien cared for deeply.
#TCC Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord is serving the
Booth family.
