Juanita “Nita” Duncan Dooley passed away peacefully on May 22, 2025, at the age of 94. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, nurse, and friend—known for her steady strength, quiet grace, and deep care for the people and places she loved.

Born on January 1, 1931, in Penrose, North Carolina, Nita graduated from nursing school at Mission Hospital in Asheville and went on to serve with compassion and resilience—primarily as an occupational health nurse who was called to serve in critical event triage when needed. She was also a founding member of the Brevard Church of Christ, where she and her late husband helped build a community grounded in faith and service. Nita and her husband, Charles Dennis Dooley, were married in May of 1957.

After the early loss of her husband, Nita raised her son Keith Dooley on her own, instilling in him the same integrity, resilience, and warmth that she lived by. Her only granddaughter, Morgan Dooley, was one of her greatest joys in life—a bond filled with deep love, gentle encouragement, and shared understanding.

Nita believed in showing up. In meeting people where they were. In doing what needed to be done with steadfast devotion.

She lived by the teachings of the Bible and treated others with the grace and dignity she believed everyone deserved. Her relationship with the Lord was her greatest source of strength and peace. Her love for nature was rooted in her reverence for God's creation, and she often spoke of the stillness and connection she found in the great outdoors. Her belief in faith, family, and self-reliance grounded her throughout her life.

A celebration of Nita’s life will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Pink Beds Picnic Shelter in Pisgah National Forest at 2:00 P.M.—a place she loved deeply. Friends and family are invited to gather, share memories, and reflect in the peaceful beauty she always cherished.

She is survived by her beloved son, Keith Dooley, and her only granddaughter, Morgan Dooley, who will carry forward her legacy with love. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Tara Shore Dooley, who she loved like a daughter of her own; her sister, Patricia Duncan Saunders, whose closeness, strength, and shared history brought Nita deep comfort; and cherished nieces and a nephew.

Nita is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Dennis Dooley, and by her parents, LaRue Hamilton Duncan and John Virgil Duncan, along with many dear loved ones she now rejoins.

Her legacy is one of gentleness, resilience, and grace. She showed us what it meant to love fully, give quietly, and tend to the world around you.

Her family invites you to share your memories, photos, or reflections here.

And if you're so inclined, we invite you to raise a cup of coffee in her honor—she rarely went a day without one (or three).

She was deeply loved—and we’re grateful to remember her in a place she cherished.

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