Juanita Roodman

Nita (Juanita) Varnon Roodman, 81, of Cape Girardeau and Morgan Hill, CA, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, August 3, 2025, surrounded by loved ones, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau, MO. Her parents, the late John Sam and Pauline Varnon of Morley/Scott City, MO, had ten children, five boys and five girls. Nita was their sixth born. Nita attended Morley public schools, Scott County Central, and graduated from Illmo-Scott City High School in 1961. After completing her BS in Education from Southeast Missouri State University in 1966, she taught for several years in Missouri. In 1970, Nita married Toby Roodman, St. Louis. They made their first homes in San Jose/Los Gatos, CA where they lived for years before moving to Morgan Hill. She worked for CA State Fund for 29 years, and when she retired as Assistant Claims Manager, she left a host of close friends/co-workers who highly respected and admired her. Music, poetry, and being with family/friends were among Nita's "favorite things." While others would search their memories for the words to a song or from a long-ago poem, she could often recite them from her incredible memory. She was a devoted sister who looked for ways to help family members without waiting to be asked. As a dear one recently said of her, he had never quite seen before the type of love and compassion for others that Nita had. Nita is survived by her husband Toby of Morgan Hill, CA, sisters Sue Stacy of Cape Girardeau, MO; sister Patt Sharp of Kennett, MO; brothers Tony (Janet) Varnon of Cape Girardeau and Richard (Suzanne) Varnon of Germantown, TN; brother-in-law Joe Raffety of Clarksville, TN; nieces Julia and Mary Raffety, Nikki Varnon, Lily Varnon, nephews Joshua Varnon, Sam Varnon, Jim Varnon, Matt Varnon; great-nieces Brooklyn Varnon and Lucy Varnon, and great-nephews Johnathan, Jacob, and Joey Varnon. Nita was preceded in death by many whom she loved and who especially loved her, including her sisters Dee Raffety and Betty Cruse, brothers John Sam Varnon, Jr., Stanley Varnon, and Mack Varnon, nephew John Varnon, and brothers-in-law Bob Cruse, Dr. Bill Stacy and Judge Stephen Sharp. A memorial service will be held Sunday, August 17 at 11 a.m. at Ford & Sons Funeral Home, Mount Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau, with a graveside service following at Fairdealing Cemetery, Fairdealing, MO at 2:30 pm. Online condolences may be made to www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com

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Juanita Roodman

December 11, 1943 - August 3, 2025