Juanita was the 13th child of Percy and Lelia Washington. She was baptized at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Grindstone, PA at an early age. She graduated from Brownsville HS and earned a Bookkeeping certificate form Monroe Business School in NY.

She married Oliver Smith in 1957 and they had 3 daughters, Renee', Shari, and Crystal. Juanita and Oliver were divorced in 1975 and she then married John Martin in 1980 and then divorced in 1989.

While in New York, Juanita was a community leader in the Throggs' Neck section of The Bronx where she used her creative skills and taught the women of the neighborhood gardening, sewing, and other life skills. Juanita was an active member of Central Baptist Church Missionary Ministry where she was able to spread love to those who needed it. She retired from Mount Sinai Hospital in 2001.

Later in life Juanita relocated to Knightdale, NC with her daughter Crystal where she participated at the Senior Citizen Center in Zebulon, NC. She was able to spread her love, leadership and creativity.

She loved to travel and throughout her life she visited Spain, did a cross-country trip across America, hosted many trips to Las Vegas and the most recent trip was to TopSoil Beach.

Leaving to cherish her memories are her children Renee' (Donald), Shari (Eugene) and Crystal; her grandchildren Davon' (Estefany), Duane (TaShauna) and Dariel; her great grandchildren A'Niya and Isabel; her sisters Frances, Esther (Donald) and Joan, her brother David (Liz); along with three sisters in-law Kate, Marie and Myrtle, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends. Preceding her in death are her parents Percy and Lelia, her sister Viola and her brothers George, Willie, Richard, Moses, Kenneth, Clarence, Roger and Clifford.