Juanita "Nita" Moreno

Juanita K. Moreno, age 67, of Troy, Michigan, was an artist, a giver, and a ray of sunshine in the lives of those lucky enough to know her. On June 6, 2026, she passed away after many years of challenging health issues.

Born on October 30,1958, to Santiago Moreno and Hope (Garcia) Moreno, she spent her childhood and young adult life in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. She was the youngest of three siblings, and a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School, Class of 1976. A keen lover of music, she worked for Full Moon/New Moon Records until she ventured out to the Detroit suburbs to try her hand at graphic design. She’d been painting for years, and she took to graphic design and photo retouching as a natural. She worked at Color Concepts/C3 for seven years, and worked sixteen years at Axis CrossMedia in the print and digital space as a Photoshop expert–though her coworkers probably remember her best for the special cakes she would make whenever someone in the office had a birthday.

Juanita, known as Nita to her loved ones, learned resilience from a young age. She lost her father to a heart attack when she was a young teen, leading her to take upon herself the role of emotional support for her mother. Creativity was woven into nearly every part of her life. She played the guitar, and loved to jam and harmonize with her older sister whenever they got together. She was the Queen of mix tapes, creating mixes with both popular songs and deep cuts for family and friends that they played until the tape deteriorated. She crafted jewelry for decades, especially with beads and freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones. When her vision forced her to give up making jewelry, she refocused her artistic talent and threw herself into watercolors, creating small masterpieces she shared as greeting cards with loved ones. But her most defining feature was her giving nature. She gave freely and so generously to many people, with no expectation of anything in return. Visiting made you feel like you were snuggled up in a blanket of love. She was the fun aunt who made every occasion she visited into a holiday. One year she made bubble solution and a giant wand so her niece and nephews could make bubbles almost as big as they were. She trusted easily and always looked for the best in people. If disaster struck, she was there with a kind ear, a homemade cookie, and a hug. Her smile was radiant, honest, and contagious. She loved Halloween the way other people love Christmas or Thanksgiving–she would decorate her house for it. Her favorite food was macaroni and cheese, she loved wolves and sparkly things, and she could never bring herself to have another cat after her beloved Waffle crossed the rainbow bridge.

Her mother, who she had cared for devotedly for many years, died in 2019. Her sister’s death followed in 2021. Health complications struck her over and over, but she never gave up, and she never stopped trying for a better tomorrow. Her laughter and her bright light will be profoundly missed. We take some comfort in knowing she is now in a place where she can harmonize with her sister once more.

Juanita was preceded in death by her father, Santiago Moreno; her mother, Hope Moreno; and her sister, Lucinda “Lucy” Hohn. She is survived by her housemate Richard Lawson, her brother James (Anne Swift) Moreno, her brother-in-law Thomas Hohn, her niece Christina (Geoffrey) Haisty, her nephews Jesse (Brittany) Hohn and Angelo Moreno, and her grandnieces Alison Haisty and Stella Haisty.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at a location to be determined. If you have memories or photos to share, or you would like to be updated when more Celebration of Life details are available, please email Christina Haisty at chaisty@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider taking a little time to do something creative that feeds your soul.