Juanita Casey

Waynesville, Ora Juanita Lenoir Casey, age 89, began her eternal rest on Saturday, August 8, 2020 at Silver Bluff Village.

A lifelong resident of Haywood County, Juanita was the daughter of the late Willie Mae Lenoir and William Conley.  She was also preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Dennis M. Casey, and their infant sons Carl "Chip" and James Henry.  She attended the historic Pigeon Street School, where she was valedictorian of her class.  She went on to attend Allen School in Asheville, a private school for African American girls, from which she graduated in 1949.  Fitting the way she conducted her life, she rendered the following quote from Booker T. Washington with her senior class photo; "I will let no man drag me so low as to make me hate him."

Juanita was a wife, homemaker, mother, and active participant in many "villages" for neighborhood and community children, all of whom were welcome.  Her house permeated with nurturing, acceptance, and fun.  She was loved and respected by those who knew her.  Juanita was a faithful member of Jones Temple AME Zion Church, where she served as a missionary and deaconess, as well as the church secretary for numerous years.

She is survived by one son, Dennis M. Casey, Jr of Wilson, NC; two daughters, Lavonne Casey of Waynesville, NC, and Felecia Casey-Hicks (Spencer) of Durham, NC; five grandchildren, Dennis V., Jeannie, Lakeisha, Ben, and Philip; five great- grandchildren, Lorenzo, Tiyana, Tanasha, Kiyauna, and Shayla; and a host of extended family and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, August 14, 2020 in the Waynesville chapel of Wells Funeral Home.  Interment will follow at Green Hill Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.  The service will be live streamed and is accessible through Juanita’s obituary on the Wells Funeral Home website to facilitate the ongoing focus on community safety and health.  Due to Covid-19, all protocols and mandates will be enforced.

Special thanks to the Silver Bluff Village staff.  Their tireless efforts in providing excellent care, especially during such difficult and unprecedented times, are beyond heroic.  The Casey Family is appreciative.

Memorials may be made to Jones Temple AME Zion Church, 35 Thomas Park, Waynesville, NC  28786; Maple Leaf Adult Respite, 63 Elmwood Way, Suite C-100, Waynesville, NC  28786; Silver Bluff Village, 100 Silver Bluff Drive, Canton, NC 28716 or MemoryCare, 100 Far Horizons Lane, Asheville, NC  28803.

The care of Mrs. Casey has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Homes and an online memorial register is available at "Obituaries" at www.wellsfuneralhome.com