Gone but never forgotten. Juanita Constance Stolte (nee Polack) passed away peacefully at Health Sciences North on December 19, 2023. Juanita is survived by her husband John, daughter Trish Stolte of Ottawa (David, children Allison and Evan), Mike of Nelson, BC (partner Kirsten, children Connor and Katie), Dave of Thornhill (wife Sharon, children Kevin and Jason), her sisters Vicki Burkhart (Ray), Julie Aubin (Jean), and brother Gary (Liz). She is predeceased by her sister Pat and brother Stan (Jennifer).
Born in Sudbury on August 14, 1936, Juanita embraced health care as a vocation like her nurse Mother (Frances Shannon) and physician Father (Stanley Polack). She attended nursing college in North Bay with her lifetime friend Marney Vaananen (Miller) before meeting the love of her life, John Stolte, in Ottawa in 1958. After a brief time in Toronto, the happy couple moved to Sudbury where they started a family. She practiced nursing and then became a nursing instructor at Cambrian College. Juanita was renowned for her tenacity, intelligence, curiosity, sense of social justice, powers of recall, brutal honesty and love of all things Sudbury. Her mind was a steel trap for practical knowledge as well as the little details of life. Juanita was a feminist and Indigenous rights advocate ahead of her time. Her love of lifelong learning found her attending and auditing courses at Laurentian University into her 70s, long after completing her BA. She was an avid amateur historian/ political scientist and family genealogist, tromping around cemeteries in Ontario and Quebec with her cousin, Rita Dixon (Parent). She loved dogs, especially her beloved shelties Shannon and Tara. Juanita was a staunch defender of the CBC and public health care. She was a fiercely competitive bridge player, a tireless world traveler and was fascinated by world news and politics. Juanita loved Cinefest and was a regular festival fixture for decades. For years, she could be seen swimming from point to point on Ramsey Lake, loving the lake that for so many years she called home.
Juanita will be remembered with love. At her request, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Health Sciences North Foundation.