Obituary of Juanita Langford Wadsworth

At 93 years young, Juanita Langford Wadsworth passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on September 17, 2019. She was born on March 11, 1926, in Fort Pierce, Florida. She was the only child of Susie (Jenkins) and Thomas Leslie Langford. Nanny, as she was affectionately called, felt her greatest accomplishments were being a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, James Raleigh Wadsworth in 1997. She is survived by her daughters, Susan Wadsworth Isaac (Michael) and Debra Wadsworth Mendez, granddaughter Ashley Arnold Rogalinski (Rich), grandson Alex Mendez, and the newest member of the family, great-grandson Raleigh Rogalinski.

Her mother died of tuberculosis when she was only 2 and was raised by many family members until she came to finally live with her Aunt Clara Peacock in Tampa at the age of 14. She took singing lessons for 12 years and had an opportunity to sing with her cousin, Frances Langford who was a well-known actress and singer, on WFLA radio. She was a 1944 graduate of Plant High School and attended the University of Tampa Business School and Hillsborough Community College. She worked at Prudential Insurance in downtown Tampa in her younger years. When her cousin, Phil Langford introduced her to a handsome young man called J. R. the rest is history. They spent many happy years traveling in their RV throughout the United States with Romeo, their very spoiled Pomeranian.

She was employed by the Hillsborough County School System as a teacher's aide for 15 years and worked for Tampa Recreation Department in their pre-school program for 3 years. She was also a volunteer Pink Lady at St. Joseph's Hospital and was a past member of Beta Sigma Phi. She was a lifelong resident of Tampa, FL. The Hillsborough class of 1942 made her an honorary member for all the handwork she did on the reunion committees with her husband's class.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 in the chapel of Sun City Funeral Home in Sun City, Florida on Friday, September 27, 2019 with Pastor Stacey Bowen of Simmons Loop Baptist Church officiating. Visitation will be at 10:30 before the service. Interment will follow at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida with her husband. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her honor to Simmons Loop Baptist Church c/o Senior Ministry, 6610 Simmons Loop Road, Riverview, Florida 33578. Online www.simmonsloop.org (memo to Senior Ministry), text to (SLBC Senior Ministry "$amount" to 73256), or mail (check payable to Simmons Loop Baptist).