Juana “Juanita” Franco Dominguez entered into eternal life on May 29, 2023, at her home in Safford, Arizona. She was 86. Juana was born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico, on June 24, 1936. She was the only child born to Luis Palacios Garcia and the seventh and youngest child to Otilia Franco.
Juana was known as Juanita to her family and friends. Her sister-in-law, Vicky Delgado, gave her the nickname “Janie,” so her nieces and nephews knew her as Aunt Janie. Her precious grandchildren knew her as Grandma Nita. Juanita always had a smile on her face. She was a friendly person with a great sense of humor who made friends easily. She had a strong faith in God, which helped her through difficult times.
Juanita loved reading and writing poetry, listening to music, and dancing to a Kumbia. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends, which meant everything to her. She planted many seeds of love and kindness throughout her life. She will be greatly missed by her family and countless friends.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 50 years, Edwardo “Lalo” M. Dominguez; her parents, Luis Palacios Garcia and Otilia Franco; her six siblings, Leanor Buttner and Celia Serna of California, Reymundo Chavez of Texas, Alfonso Chavez of Tolleson, Arizona, Margarita Rodriguez of Thatcher, Arizona, and Hortensia “Tencha” Figueroa of Safford, and son-in-law Richard B. Lopez.
She is survived by her daughters, Sylvia D. Lopez and Maria E. Bishop of Safford; sons, Luis E. Dominguez and Johnny Dominguez, of Safford; her son, Michael R. Dominguez, of Mesa, Arizona; her grandsons, David A. Martinez, John-Michael R. Martinez, Nathan J. Bishop, and Jeffrey A. Heath Jr., all of Safford, as well as her granddaughters, Jerrica Ward, Jovanna Merrill, and Janessa Dominguez, of Safford, and Danielle Hargrave and Andrea Dominguez, of Gilbert, Arizona, and many great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.
Funeral services for Juana were conducted Friday, June 9, 2023, at 11 a.m., at Vining Funeral Home’s “Chapel of the Valley”. Concluding services followed in the Safford Cemetery.
The family received friends at the funeral home earlier that morning at 10 a.m.
A luncheon was held after the concluding services at the Freedom Church, located at 3754 U.S. Highway 191, in Safford.
