She studied at Smith College and at Le Cordon Bleu. Child was married to Paul Cushing Child from 1946 until his death in 1994, but they didn't have children. Child died on August 13, 2004 in Montecito, California from kidney failure, two days before her 92nd birthday.

When Child passed away in 2004, she left no heirs and put the foundation in charge of granting the right to user her name and likeness. Though the Santa Barbara resident was in many ways the dean of American gastronomy, she famously never endorsed any products, a policy her foundation continues.

Child was the eldest of three, followed by a brother, John McWilliams III, and sister, Dorothy Cousins. Child attended Polytechnic School and Westridge School from 4th grade to 9th grade in Pasadena, California.

Six months earlier, Julia and Paul had been forced to leave their beloved France and, crueler still, an adorable apartment in the old port city of Marseille, because of an inane government decree that a diplomatic post in any given country could not exceed a period of four years.