Obituary of Juanita Rose Eustace
Mrs. Juanita Rose Eustace of Apohaqui passed away peacefully at the Sussex Health Center on March 9, 2022 at the age of 63. She was the daughter of Isabel (Johnston) Hayes and the late Gordon Hayes.
Juanita was a country girl growing up in Summerfield with her parents and four sisters. As a farm girl she learned early how to milk by hand and to help with haying and other farm chores. She would regale friends with stories of going off to the chicken farms in the early morning to catch chickens before heading off to school. She worked part-time at Dairy Queen.
The summer she was 15, she kept house, cooked and cleaned for her Uncle Bud and his family and farm hands. She enjoyed the responsibility. Following high school she took a business course at Bethany College, doing so well that the following year she became the instructor.
While at Bethany College she met Tim, married, eventually moving to Grand Manan Island where she did some bookkeeping, worked in the island store and Bank of Nova Scotia. Later she and her friend Tammy ran a bakery making so many pies that afterwards she refused to make any more. Around this time Nick and Natasha were added to the family.
When she was 28, Juanita and the children moved to Millstream and she began to work at the Bank of Nova Scotia. She also began taking accounting courses by correspondence from the University of McGill.
In 1993 she moved to Sussex to live with Dave Rose, who died tragically in a car accident in 1994. In 1995 Bea Salsman introduced Juanita to Ed Eustace, and they were married on June 18, 1996.
Ed and Juanita began their outdoor adventure in a 26’ sailing boat, mostly exploring the lower St John River. Later they designed and built a cottage at the end of Nail Factory Rd where they continued to sail and kayak and for a short time had a power boat for waterskiing. In later years they purchased a travel trailer and joined a Trailer Association exploring Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. They enjoyed visiting Grand Manan with the trailer to visit her son and family.
Traveling had become an enjoyable way for Juanita and Ed to spend short periods away from New Brunswick. After visits to Portugal, Cuba, Costa Rica and Mexico (a favourite, visited 3 times), many great stories shared.
Being involved in her community was important to her; she volunteered in the library at the Sussex Corner School (eventually being given a paid position), canvassed for Heart and Stroke Association, served on the board of the Sussex Resource Center, managed the books for the cemetery fund and enjoyed being part of the Community in Bloom program for several years.
Always challenging herself, she took online courses to learn French and Spanish at the same time! Through Nova Scotia Agriculture College she became a Master Gardener. She was skilled at designing the composition of planters and flower beds. Her love of gardening was easily seen in her homes in Sussex Corner and Apohaqui. She beautified everywhere she lived, inside and out. Her many house plants were very fortunate!
She fiercely loved her grandchildren and all her children for she felt it an opportunity to reinvent her childhood through them by having make-believe tea parties, and sliding and tobogganing.
She led a very active life kayaking, camping, frequent visits to the gym, visiting with friends and family. She was a kind women, always expressing great concern and affection for those to whom she was close. As she wrote recently in a notebook “I’ve the best sisters – BEST!
She will live on in the hearts of her mother, Isabel Hayes; her husband, Ed; her children: Nicholas Brown (Julie) of Grand Manan and Natasha Brown of Sussex; her step children: Patrick Coleman Eustace of Edmonton, Kennedy Coleman Eustace (Tonya) of Saint John, Jessica Coleman of Sussex and Alison Eustace (Von Powell) of Vancouver; her sisters: Ida O’Leary (Tim) of Moncton, Esther Scott (Brian) of Fredericton, Nina Pratt (Gordon) of Sussex and Barbara Hayes-Naugler (John) of Hampton;her “brother” Jeff Johnston and Uncle Bud Johnston: her beloved grandchildren: Beckham, Melodie, Lillian, Eleanor, Quinn and Valentina; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Along with her father, she is predeceased by her sister, Ruth Hayes.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Wallace Funeral Home, 34 Sunnyside Drive, Sussex, NB (506-433-1176).
Personal condolences to the family and donations may be made through wallacefuneralhome.com
We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the Saint John Oncology Dept, Dr Ward and the great people at the Sussex hospital. Special thanks also go out to the Extra Mural nurses and Sharps Drugstore. You have all been so supportive during this journey!
