Juanita Rolon Rivera, RNBS, 91, of Jersey City, NJ went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, December 9, 2018. Juanita was born on April 15, 1927 in Naguabo, Puerto Rico to the late Tomas Rivera Santana and the late Teresa Rivera Flores. Juanita, known to many as “Memere”, was married to the late Jovino Rolon of Aibonito, Puerto Rico.
Juanita was a caring and devoted nurse, and worked at various hospitals in Jersey City and Union City, and retired from St. Francis Hospital in Jersey City. She worked her way up the professional ladder from nurse’s aide, to LPN, and eventually Registered Nurse. Even after retirement, she could always be counted on to check the blood pressure of all of her friends and neighbors.
Juanita was the early pioneer in the family to move from Puerto Rico to mainland America. She was dedicated to bringing new opportunities to her growing family after having her two children. She then sponsored other family members to come to Jersey City to make their homes and seek the American dream.
Juanita was often seen jogging through the Jersey City Heights, and was cheered on in the numerous marathons that she completed later in life, including winning 3rd in her age group at the New Jersey Waterfront Mara- thon in 1992, at the age of “60”. If that math doesn’t add up to you, it’s be- cause she never aged past “49 plus tax”. If she wasn’t jogging around the neighborhood, she was probably watching a Yankee game on YES.
She had a meticulously kept journal of Yankee wins and losses, and was the ultimate fan. Juanita was preceded in death by her husband Jovino, and her dear brother Cesar Rivera Flores. She is survived by her two children Emerito “Tony” Rolon (June) of New Hampshire, and Lucy Reynolds (Tony) of Indi- anapolis, IN; her beloved grandchildren: Mark (Erin), Christopher (Tyna), and Michael (Kim) Rolon; David “Todd’ (Chauntae), Anthony “TJ” (Sarah), Teresa (Francesco Settanni), and Thomas Reynolds; her great-grandchildren Antonio, Devon, and Angela, Ashley, Matthew and Joshua, Rachel and Carl- son, Jordan and Taylor, Julius and Xavier, Laela and Arden; her dear sisters Carmen Ramos of Patterson, NJ, and Gladys Rivera Malendez of Naguabo, PR; her dear brother Juaquin Flores of Fajardo, PR, and numerous cousins and their families.
Visitation for Juanita will be held on Friday, December 14, 2018 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Riotto Funeral Home & Cremation Company, 3205 John F. Kennedy, Blvd. Jersey City, NJ 07306 (For GPS, it is best to use parking lot entrance address: 14 Stagg St., Jersey City). A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 10:30 AM at St. Joseph Church, 61 Monroe Street, Hoboken.
Interment will follow at Arlington Cemetery, Kearny.
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