Juanita A. McCormick

Juanita Anne McCormick, age 99, passed away peacefully in Springfield, Missouri, on Thursday, December 18, 2025, surrounded by family, leaving behind a legacy of love, and unwavering devotion to family. A beloved sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she was a woman whose kindness, elegance, grace and warmth touched all who had the privilege of knowing her.

A Mass and celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at Saint John Vianney Catholic Church, 4097-18th Street, Bettendorf, Iowa. The Mass will be livestreamed by clicking the following link: St. John Vianney YouTube. Visitation with the family will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the gathering space at the church. Interment will be at a later date in Litchfield, Connecticut. Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

She was born February 19, 1926, at home on Elliot Avenue in Yonkers, New York, to Phillip J. O’Brien and Juanita McGowan, the third of five children. There she grew up and met, as a teen, the love of her life, Cliff McCormick. Born with a natural sense of style and poise, Juanita spent her early years in private Catholic education and later attended St. Elizabeth’s in New Jersey and Barmore College in New York City where she studied Art History. As a young woman she worked at Lord & Taylor’s, where her keen eye for clothing and timeless style flourished. In midlife she earned her Ohio real estate license and after moving to California subsequently returned to retail, working for years in the designer wear department at Robinsons and Nordstrom’s in Southern California.

Juanita and Cliff were married on October 9, 1948. At the heart of her life was her marriage. She loved her husband fiercely and faithfully, and together they built a life marked by devotion, laughter, and adventure. Cliff’s work took them and their growing family from New York City to Kansas City, to Philadelphia, to Cleveland, to Irvine, to the Mission Hills community in Rancho Mirage, California. At 90, they decided to downsize and move to The Fountains, a retirement community close to their eldest daughter, Chris, in Bettendorf, Iowa. Their shared love of travel took them around the world, creating memories that became treasured stories passed down through generations. They visited all fifty states, Canada, the Caribbean, Ireland—to search their family roots—Europe, South Africa, China, South America, Egypt, and the Holy Land. As Catholics and devotees of the Blessed Virgin, Cliff and Juanita made memorable pilgrimages to the famous shrines of Medjugorje, Lourdes, and Guadalupe.

Above all, Juanita was a devoted mother to her seven children, supporting each one wholeheartedly in their interests, passions, and pursuits. Her encouragement was steadfast, her pride sincere, and her love unconditional. She extended that same love to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, delighting in each new generation and embracing them with joy.

What set Juanita apart was her ability to make people feel truly accepted and loved. Everyone who entered her sphere felt welcomed, seen, and valued. Her home—and her heart—were always open. She listened without judgment, loved without condition, and gave generously of herself.

She will be remembered as a kind, and deeply loving woman of faith, class, and quiet strength. Her life was a beautiful example of how elegance and compassion can walk hand in hand.

She is survived by her seven children: Chris (Hugh Pries)of Bettendorf, Iowa; Brian (Lynn Wittenbrink) of Litchfield, Connecticut; Sean (Diane Adams)of Gunnison, Colorado; Pat (Patrick Gartland) of Springfield, Missouri; Katy (Claude Baillargeon) of Toronto, Ontario; Mick (Donna Kellick) of Minneapolis/Palm Springs; Matt (Gayle Newborn)of Worton, Maryland; their fifteen grandchildren: Jake and Jeff Pries; Leah Howard, Nicole Fowler, Kate McCormick, Charlie McCormick, Lauren Hefferon, and Emily Ryan; Nick McCormick and Becca Smith; Matt Gartland; Mage and Maxine McCormick; and Ben and Molly McCormick; and their twenty-three great-grandchildren: Asher, Adie, Celia, Augustine, Maddie, Suzy, Jerome, Dominic, Bibi, Nolan, Quinn, Mac, Jayden, Charlotte, Noah, Abby, Luke, Peyton, Grayson, Jackson, Davis, Layla and Aubrey, sister Thérése Mahoney, sister- in-law Elizabeth O’Brien, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Juanita was predeceased by her husband, Cliff, her daughter-in-law, JoAnne Barber McCormick, and grandson, Christopher Gartland. She will be dearly missed and forever remembered.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the charity of your choice in her memory.