Juanita Pacheco Howard

Birth date: Sep 19, 1946 Death date: Dec 17, 2015

Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, Juanita Pacheco Howard, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her loving family on December 17, 2015. Juanita, the daughter of Eddie and Frances Pacheco, was bo Read Obituary

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Sandy Herron Curtis

502w ago

It was such sad news to hear about Juanita passing. She was a beautiful person both inside and out. We attended High School together and enjoyed taking art classes from Mr. Eaton. We always shared a laugh when he would say, "Juanita, you can't start a portrait with the eyes." She always started her portraits that way and the results were amazing. She was such a talented artist!

We reconnected during the past few years. She updated me about friends from school and her family. She loved her family. She was so proud of her sons and granddaughter.
I miss her!

My sincere sympathy to her family.

Sandy Herron Curtis

Billie Bernasconi

517w ago

in honor of Juanita.

My earliest memories include you . . . making me repeat "encyclopedia" and other big words when I could barely talk :-), being the flower girl at your wedding and never leaving your side, looking up to you and realizing that you were as beautiful on the inside as you were on the outside. I will miss you every day until I get to see you again and I'll love you forever. "Bill"

A large, lit white candle with a subtle wax drip on a beige background, accompanied by a white and pink paper flower on the right side.

Sylva Gillins Christensen

518w ago

I am blessed to have had Juanita in part of my life. We were in the same class in High school. She had a positive energy about her, she was fun and kind, great to be around. More beautiful inside than out and really beautiful on the outside.
My sincere sympathy to her family. Sylva Gillins Christensen

Carol Smith Leavitt

518w ago

Seniors in high school, and I asked Juanita if she could do some artwork for my Sterling Scholar portfolio. Of course she said yes and I remember the judges being more interested in her beautiful artwork far more than they were in me! I loved her peaceful, humble spirit and thought she had more beauty and grace than any ten Homecoming queens. The world needs more people like her. Carol Smith Leavitt

Rick Estes

518w ago

It was very sad news to hear that Juanita had passed. She had such a beautiful soul. I would like to share some of my favorite memories of her here to contribute to the mosaic that was her life. I knew her as a kid many years ago. But only in the last few years did I really get to know her as someone other than a childhood crush.

As I have related the story to others, she was my first girlfriend. Only she didn't know it. Our family had moved to Utah from the state of Georgia soon after my father had passed away. We began attending the church that my grandmother and aunts attended at that time; the Ogden Church of God of Prophecy. It was there that I first met Juanita. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my whole six years of life upon the earth. I had an instant crush on her and soon tried to sit right next to her during every church service. Those were the good innocent days when everything was blissful except for one little nagging problem. There was some man named Avery Howard that would sit on the other side of her and put his arm around her during every service. The problem wasn't that he was her husband. Or that he was sitting next to his wife. No, the problem was that when I would try to sit so close to her that you couldn't get a blade of grass between us, Mr. Howard would put his arm around her and thump me in the ear. How could I be a smooth six year old Cassanova with some man thumping me in the ear? But to get to sit next to her it was worth it.

A short while later they began attending the church in Salt Lake City. I was able to see her occasionally when ever our church would go to the Salt Lake church for a state convention. She always smiled at me when she saw me. But things began to be different. She was a mother now and I was a few years older. Suddenly I began to notice the girls my age. At eleven you come to the realization that beautiful married mothers are just that. Beautiful. Married. Mothers. So girls your own age become more interesting. I know it must have been hard for her when she saw me sitting next to them. But she never showed it.

A few years later we moved to the great state of Alabama. The years slowly went by and the memories of my first love had all but been forgotten. But then came the information super highway and with it... Facebook. It was great being able to reconnect with people from the past. And with every person you connected with came a whole list of more friends to reconnect with. And suddenly one day I saw her. I wasn't sure if she would remember me but I sent her a friend request anyways. Her first response to me was, “ Is this my little buddy from all those years ago?” It was nice knowing that she did remember me. We slowly began to reconnect. Over time me and my whole family got to know her as a person via Facebook. Some of the group conversations we had with her niece Toni and another friend from the past John Jr. kept my family laughing all the time. Juanita would share some of the funniest stories with us about embarrassing situations that she had be in. Sometimes we would laugh so hard that our tears blinded us. Like the time she was waiting for a ride to work from a co-worker because her car was in the shop. She heard someone blow a horn outside. She looked and there was a car parked out front so she went and got in the back seat. Only this was not her co-worker. Or the time she ate a fortune cookie and forgot that there was still a fortune inside. ( We sent her a whole bag of fortune cookies for her birthday just so she could practice the proper way to eat a fortune cookie). Like I said before she had a beautiful soul and we were so thankful that we got to see a tiny bit of it.

Well I guess that is enough to share for now. She was my friend and I have loved her as a friend since I was six. I miss our Facebook chats. But I know that I will see her again soon. God Bless.

Don Grymes

518w ago

Absent from the body...together with the Lord. This Biblical promise to believers is a comfort to those who lose loved ones.

I went to high school with Juanita. She was beautiful and very quiet. I didn’t get to know her well there. I ran into her a few times at reunions, but credit Facebook with getting to know her these last few years. She and Sharlene used Facebook to air a relationship often around a comedy act that they should have taken on the road. It was something to behold. I think also they loved each other.

My wife and I had the privilege to have dinner with Her, Avery and their son London here in St George. I enjoyed my conversation with Avery, a believer a Veteran and it was evident we had some shared values. I also got to meet briefly their son Brandon his wife Kami and Maddy, Juanita’s Granddaughter who she loved (she loved them all but anyone with grandchildren knows what I mean). Once in a while Juanita would post a picture of Maddy on Facebook.

Matthew records that when a lawyer asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment:

“Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””
Matthew 22:37, 39-40 NKJV

Juanita personified these verses, not by command or edict, it seemed effortless as thou it was in her DNA. She had “neighbors” all over the world. Amazing to read some of the tributes of people who considered her a dear friend who had never even met her.

What a Legacy, great family, countless friends and a never failing faith in her Savior. She will be missed.

Another Friend
Don Grymes

Kathy Leon

518w ago

Dear Family
Carl & I are Lori Pacheco Leon Wilson's mom & dad. I was Amos' first wife Kathy Stanley. Carl & I both want you to know how sad we are for your loss. Although we were not able to spend a lot of time with Juanita, the times we did were such beautiful sweet memories. The drawing she did of Lori hangs in our home and is one of our most valued possession's. I thank God for the privilege of knowing Juanita and plan to cherish every memory I have of your precious wife , mother, grandmother & sister. She was God's blessing to everyone she touched in her all to brief life & He will be there to help you in the days ahead.

Carl & Kathy Leon
West Valley City, Utah

Cheryl & Bob Garrison

519w ago

We are so saddened to hear of Juanita's passing. What wonderful memories we have of her and your family. Her talent, giving and loving spirit will be missed by all who knew her. Please accept our sincerest sympathies and love. Cheryl and Bob Garrison

Dona Whittaker

519w ago

in honor of Juanita.

Sharlene

519w ago

Juanita, you were such a good friend, arranging get togethers with classmates when I came through SLC. Our interactions on FB always made me funny and I will miss you more than words can say. Good Night News. Peace be with your family.

Rick Estes

518w ago

Well I guess that is enough to share for now. She was my friend and I have loved her as a friend since I was six. I miss our Facebook chats. But I know that I will see her again soon. God Bless.

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