[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 23, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E157-E158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IN RECOGNITION OF THE LIFE OF JUANITA VARNADO PIERCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE ROGERS

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 23, 2021

  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I ask for the House's attention 
to recognize

[[Page E158]]

the life of Juanita Varnado Pierce. She passed on February 7, 2021 at 
the age 83.
  Juanita (affectionately called Neat) was born to the late Howard and 
Maggie Lee Varnado and grew up in McComb, Mississippi. Her early 
education was at Pike County High School in McComb. She graduated high 
school at 15 and attended Henderson Business College in Memphis, 
Tennessee. She graduated from Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee 
University, in 1974 with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and from 
Auburn University with a Master's in Early Childhood Education in 1975.
  She started teaching 2nd grade at Dean Road Elementary School in 
Auburn, Alabama, in August of 1975 and taught 2nd grade for 17 years. 
After completing her Administration Certification from the University 
of Alabama, she was hired as the Assistant Principal at Dean Road 
Elementary in the Fall of 1992 and became Principal in Fall of 1996. 
She retired in the Fall of 1998. As a retired educator, she volunteered 
throughout Tuskegee in the local school system reading to young 
children. To ensure all children had access to books, she founded the 
Bookmobile which was a remade bread truck she purchased and drove it 
throughout Macon County giving free books to children. Continuing in 
her passion of educating and reading, Juanita established the 
S.M.A.R.T. (Science, Math, Art, Reading and Technology) Camp in 2005. 
Funded by grants and donations, this free two-week camp was started at 
Washington Chapel A.M.E. Church with approximately 40 students and 
today is held at George Washington Carver Elementary School due to the 
large size of participants.
  Juanita was a devoted member of Washington Chapel A.M.E. Church. 
After joining in 1960, she started teaching the pre-school Sunday 
School class and remained the teacher for nearly 50 years. She served 
in the Cathedral and Gospel Choirs, the Stewardess Board and Steward 
Board.
  She was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Booker T. 
Pierce, Sr.; her sisters Patricia Varnado and Artis Varnado; and a 
brother, Charles Varnado. Remaining to continue her legacy are her 
three children, Booker T. Pierce, Jr. (Nashville, TN); Vincent B. 
Pierce (St. Louis, MO) and Lisa (Bernard) P. Grant (Alexandria, VA); 
two grandchildren, Nicholas Bernard Grant (Newport News, VA) and 
Dominque Pierce (Pompano Beach, FL); her sister Lottie (Harrison) 
Varnado-Williams (Diamondhead, MS) and one brother Howard Varnado, Jr. 
(Milpitas, CA); two brothers-in-law, Fletcher (Sylvia) Pierce 
(McCormick, SC) and James Pierce (Montgomery, AL), two sisters-in-law, 
Cebell Miller (Griffin, GA) and Roxanne Pierce (Bessemer, AL); and a 
host of devoted cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Juanita's memory. She 
was a humble servant who gave willingly and unconditionally to everyone 
she encountered. She will be missed by her family, friends and the 
Tuskegee Community.

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