Juanita Biggs Lude

Juanita Grace Biggs Lude passed away on the morning of June 11 in Vista, CA. Called Nonny by the three generations she nurtured through life, she will always be remembered as a woman with a fierce sense of humor, a generous spirit, an artistic hand, and a loving heart.

Juanita was born in Detroit but moved to Los Angeles with her parents and older brother, Bill, when she was a child. She went to University High in Los Angeles. In October 1953, she married her love, Richard (Dick) Biggs, and started a family. Their two children, Cindy and Rick, took tremendous care of her in her final years, as did her beloved niece Linda, and three amazing friends/caregivers, Ana, Barbara and Jeanne.

Juanita very unexpectedly became a widow for the first time when she was just 49. She and her two nieces, Linda and Sandy, then shared an apartment, and Juanita’s optimism and life-affirming spirit in the face of heartbreak became an inspiration for Linda who was also a young widow.

Juanita was fortunate to find love again and married a kind-hearted gentleman named Carl Lude. Her family expanded to include his children and grandchildren. They were married until Carl passed away in 2007.

Juanita loved life. She went skydiving for her 70th birthday. She enjoyed painting watercolors of landscapes and her dog, Sam. She was famous for telling dirty jokes and encouraging her grandchildren to have as much fun as they could, whenever and wherever they could.

In her final years, dementia took so much from Juanita, but it never took her firecracker humor, her love for her family, or her sense of fun. One of her granddaughter’s favorite last photos of her shows Nonny — nearly 90 — sitting next to her three- and five-year-old great-granddaughters, and all three are sticking their tongues out at the camera.

On the last full day of Nonny's life, she had family by her side and even received a call from overseas to tell her how much everyone loved her. Knowing Nonny, she has taken that love with her and is now partying with her husbands, and the family and friends who have gone before her — and she will be dressed to the nines, sipping a cocktail, wearing pearls, and having the time of her life.

We miss you, Nonny. But the stories you blessed us with will keep us laughing for generations to come.