Juanita Gilchrist

Family-Placed Death Notice

GILCHRIST, Juanita JUANITA HUNT GILCHRIST On December 16, 2009, Juanita Hunt Gilchrist of 4155 Port Chester Way Decatur passed. Consistent with her wishes, she has been cremated. A memorial service will take place in Atlanta on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at Morehouse School of Medicine in the Louis W. Sullivan, Jr. National Center for Primary Care, 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA at 12 noon. Affectionately known as "Sticks," she was born on June 26, 1925, the last of four children, to the late Naomi Barnes and Lewis M. Hunt, Sr., of Chester, Pennsylvania. She married her Howard University sweetheart, the late Johnie A. Gilchrist, MD. After a period in Frankfurt, Germany, where their daughter was born, they settled in New York City. An accomplished chemist, she worked at Harlem Hospital and Brooklyn Jewish Hospital. After the birth of their son, the family moved to St. Albans, Queens, where she focused on family and community. She worked tirelessly toward the decentralization of the school system. In 1977, her family relocated to Georgia, where she continued her passion for family, friends, and community. She was a Life Member of the Auxiliary to the National Medical Association, Inc., and its Georgia State and Atlanta Chapters and recipient of many honors for her work, including 1992 Member of the Year. She advanced the organization, including grants for outreach programs for the elderly. She served on the board of the Continuum Alliance for Healthy Mothers and Children. She mentored children and young adults to encourage them to live full and accomplished lives. She served on the scholarship committee to the Atlanta Chapter of the Auxiliary to the National Medical Association and supported the Morehouse School of Medicine through its Alumni Association and assisted medical students in professional training. In 1987, she received the Outstanding Leadership Award of the United Negro College Fund. As President of the A-AMA, she inaugurated the largest scholarships campaign in the history of the Auxiliary. Upon the death of her husband in 1993, she established a scholarship in his memory at Morehouse School of Medicine. Her community projects extended into areas of cancer prevention, mental health, and youth programs. Her service to Atlanta Public Schools included chairing the "Red Ribbon" and "Just Say No" initiatives at Samuel Archer High, awarding scholarships to high school students, and at the Walter F. George High School sending students to Washington, DC to expose them to opportunities in medicine. She received the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Sojourner Truth Award for Outstanding Contributions. In 2005, she accepted a proclamation from the Fulton County Commission at a special ceremony for her 80th birthday. A founding board member of the Atlanta theater group JOMANDI, Inc., Juanita enjoyed art and music, supporting them in Atlanta and New York City. She was a life member emeritus of the Circle-Lets and past president of the Atlanta Chapter. She played bridge masterfully as a member of Les Amies, Raggedy Ann, and 4th Series in Atlanta. She is survived by her children, Rona and William, by cousins, nieces, nephews, godchildren, and a global extended family. In honor of her support for medical education, the family is asking that donations be made in her name to the: Morehouse School Of Medicine. Check Memo Line: Gilchrist Endowed Scholarship Fund, Mailed to: Staphea S. Campbell, Office of Institutional Advancement, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30310-1495.