Olive Juanita Maready

Olive Juanita Maready

April 8, 1934 – August 13, 2025

Olive Juanita Maready was welcomed to her heavenly home on August 13, 2025 while at the Dr. Robert M. Fales Hospice Pavilion in Wilmington, NC. Juanita suffered a stroke on July 31, 2025. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, August 16, 2025 at the Onslow Memorial Park Mausoleum, Jacksonville, NC.

Juanita spoke often of the numerous gifts and blessings God supplied during her 91 years of life. Her children and grandchildren believed that she was a true "prayer warrior" and knew that they were always covered by her prayers.

Juanita was born in Carteret County, NC on April 8, 1934. She was the youngest of eight children born to Elaster and Daisy Piner Wiggins. She shared lots of stories about growing up with Junius, Alton, Lottie, Faye, James, Ava, and Jesse. Juanita loved visits to the Swansboro area to reminisce about her early childhood years and family.

Juanita and her family moved to the Richlands area where she graduated high school. She married Gurman Maready on New Year's Eve 1952, and they were blessed with 54 years of life together. Juanita enjoyed living beside her parents on a small farm in the Richlands area during the early years of her married life. She surprisingly discovered that the move to the Maready family farm in Cedar Fork, NC was just where she needed to be. She often shared how much she enjoyed sitting with Gurman on the back porch drinking coffee and watching the cows. Juanita made church involvement a priority for the family. Catherine Lake Baptist Church and Cedar Fork Baptist Church provided the spiritual environment and growth that Juanita wanted for the family. Juanita was employed at Richlands Elementary School serving as an instructional assistant until retirement. Juanita enjoyed a simple life taking care of the children and supporting her husband, going to work daily, growing vegetables and flowers, canning and freezing vegetables, spending time with extended family and church friends, surf fishing with her husband, and taking camping vacations. When the "grands" started arriving, life was all about them! Juanita made the decision in June 2023 to move from her home in Beulaville, NC to an assisted care community selecting DaySpring of Wallace Assisted Living.

Juanita is survived by her brother, Jessie Wiggins, her children, Donnie (Kay), Debbie Bryan (Hayden), Kenny (Lisa), and Ava Alston (Greg). She is also survived by her grandchildren Kate M. Yates (Joel), Kari M. Kellum (Jay), Will Alston, Hollie A. Ayers (Josh), Erica T. Levai, Ashley T. Kennedy (Parker) and eleven great grandchildren – Trey Yates, John Emory Yates, Kathryn Yates, Myra Kellum, Macy Kellum, Waylon Alston, Alston Ayers, Rylan Levai, Rayleigh Kennedy, Stantson Kennedy, and Fletcher Kennedy. Juanita is also survived by her sweet friend, Cynthia Barber and many loving nieces and nephews. Juanita is preceded in death by her husband, Gurman Maready (2006), a daughter-in-law, Kathy Barber Maready, parents Elaster and Daisy Wiggins, six siblings and many family members.

Flowers are welcome or remembrances made be made to the Building Fund at Cedar Fork Baptist Church, Beulaville, NC.