Juanita Thibodeaux (Nita) Storey, age 79, of Tallulah, La., passed away on March 22, 2018, at 4:23 a.m. at Merit Health River Region Hospital in Vicksburg.

Nita was born in Gueydan, La., to Willis and Mary Alice Thibodeaux. She graduated from Gueydan High School in 1957 and attended Hotel Dieu School of Nursing in New Orleans. She began her nursing at Gueydan Hospital, where she met Dr. Jacob Wesley Storey, who became her loving husband of 54 years. For decades, she was his nurse and right hand in their family practice in Tallulah. Nita brought to Tallulah her compassionate expertise in nursing, her accomplished Cajun cooking skills and her genuine love of all people. She took great joy in her sons, John Wesley Storey and Joseph Gilliam Storey and her grandchildren, Kelsey, Hannah and Jacob, and they will attest she was the perfect mother and grandmother.

Nita devoted much of life to school and community volunteer work, especially to St. Edward Catholic Church, where she was a dedicated member of the Altar Society and a longtime teacher of religion. Most importantly, Nita’s abiding faith was a source of inspiration to all of St. Edward.

Nita was an outgoing, light-hearted, “people person” who enjoyed her bridge club, being a member of the Golden Girls and Brushy Bayou Investment Club and being closely involved with her extended family and countless friends of all ages.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband; her sisters, Ira Jane Broussard, Emma Moring, Ruthy Boudreaux; and brother, Willis Thibodeaux Jr.

She is survived by her son, John Wesley Storey, wife, Dana and grandchildren Kelsey, Hannah and Jacob of Vicksburg; son, Joseph Gilliam Storey of Tallulah; brother, Kenneth Thibodeaux of Lake Arthur; sister, Cephronia Prather of Rayne; and numerous nieces and nephews, all so very dear to her.

Visitation will be at Crothers Glenwood Funeral Home in Tallulah on Friday, March 23, 2018, from 5 to 7 p.m. with a Rosary at 6:45 p.m. and will resume at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 24, at St. Edward Catholic Church preceding the funeral mass at noon. Burial will follow at Silver Cross Cemetery in Tallulah.

Pallbearers are grandson, Jacob Thomas Storey, lifelong friend, Gene Cox, and nephews, Phil Thibodeaux, Michael Prather, John Moring and Keith Thibodeaux.

The family would like to extend their deep appreciation to Dr. Pops Neumann, Chrystal Florice, Sarah Whitman, Dr. Donald Perry and staff, Doctors Sam Pierce and Paul Pierce III and IV and their staffs and families, Jackie Guice, Nelda Carter, Georgette Britton, Elaine Wall, Mildred Oliver, Lezara Philson, the staff of Colllins Haworth Home Health and Camelia Hospice Home Health and to all other caregivers who gave their assistance over the years.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.