Juanita Brock Vassel

Juanita Brock Vassel passed away peacefully and returned to the arms of Jesus at the age of 89 on Friday, March 27, 2020, at 12:25pm. Juanita was born on August 25, 1930 in Mt. Herman, Louisiana to Harriet and Boyd Brock. She was the 3rd of 8 children and her parents loved her dearly. As a single young woman who had never traveled far from Mt Herman before, Juanita left Mt Herman and moved to New Orleans, Louisiana at the age of 20. This was rare during the 1950’s! But Juanita was brave, unafraid and determined; and so, there in New Orleans, she lived a beautiful, happy and fulfilled life. Juanita loved God and He loved her; and blessed her with family and friends who saw to it that she was never alone. She was generous, funny, resilient, fierce and sharp witted. She loved hard and in her own words, she “loved you more”. She was opinionated and always honest (sometimes too honest 😊), she spoke her mind and lived life on her own terms with no regrets! She was truly an example of a “Phenomenal Woman”, and as a single mother, she raised two boys to become phenomenal men. Her sons thought the world of her, they loved her dearly and saw her often. She lived her entire adult life in the Treme area of New Orleans. She touched the lives of many and watched many of the neighborhood children grow up to become adults, with children of their own. Juanita was married to Tom Vassel who preceded her in death. She is survived by her two sons Harry Brock of Sugar Land, Texas and Tommie Vassel of New Orleans, Louisiana, her adopted daughter Dawn Baker of Atlanta, Georgia, her daughters-in-law Sharon Brock and Natika Vassel, her grandchildren Candice Brock, Sterling McKeithen, Natalie Vassel and Trevor Vassel, her brother and sisters, Walter Brock, Anna Dean Dillion and Mae Dell Lewis, and a host of other relatives and close friends. Juanita is preceded in death by her parents Harriet and Boyd Brock, her brothers Noah Brock, William Brock, Willie (Doc) Brock and Amel Brock, her sister Perlie Mae Martin, and her grandson, Travis Vassel. Juanita attended Our Lady of Guadalupe Church & International Shrine of St. Jude. The family will hold a private interment service in her memory at Mount Olivet Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana. The family gratefully declines flowers, but prayers, condolences and memories are gladly accepted. Arrangement by D. W. Rhodes Funeral Home.